Chitungwiza municipality, Manyame Rural District Council and the Epworth Local Board had all demolished some structures and threatened to continue until all illegal structures were razed.
Chitungwiza alone had targeted some 28,000 structures for demolition following an audit ordered by Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo. The Mayor, Philip Mutoti, said Mugabe’s position was welcome as it vindicated his stance that no shelter should be demolished.
“Unfortunately, behind my back some buildings were demolished by the fighting Zanu (PF) factions,” Mutoti said.
Manyame Rural District Council, which had threatened to pull down more than 4,000 structures at Seke rural area, backtracked after Mugabe’s order. The chairperson, Naison Mudzara, said they had no choice but comply with Mugabe’s instruction.
He said people occupying structures on wetlands and under power lines would be allocated alternative land, while all other illegal structures would be regularised.
“We had embarked on the demolition programme to bring sanity to the area as people were illegally building shelters and business structures in grave yards, on areas reserved for recreation purposes and others,” said Epworth Local Board Chairperson, Tafara Murambidzi.
Mugabe’s order followed a Residents Associations’ petition directed to him and Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri to intervene or face civil disobedience from residents. Mugabe’s order flies in the face of Chombo’s stated intention to demolish all illegal structures. His party has been accused of allocating desperate home seekers residential stands ahead of elections as bait to attract votes, only to evict the beneficiaries after securing electoral victory.
Post published in: News