452 Glen Lorne Residents Appeal to Mnangagwa Over Wetland Development

More than 452 Glen Lorne residents have turned to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene in a proposed housing development on Lytham Road, warning that continued construction on environmentally sensitive land could threaten the area’s wetland, waterways and long-term water security.

The residents have formally objected to development on Stand 4717 and are demanding that all works be halted until the project’s environmental and legal implications are independently assessed.

Their concerns go beyond the number of houses planned for the site, with residents raising questions about the clearing of vegetation, earthworks, boreholes, waterways, and reported changes to a dam and watercourse.

At the heart of the dispute is the role of the Glen Lorne wetland as part of the local water system.

This is the disputed piece of land in Glen Lorne. With works continuing, residents have now taken their appeal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, demanding his intervention over the threatened wetland and water system

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Wetlands are important natural water-storage and filtration systems. Altering them through extensive earthworks, vegetation clearance and construction can change how rainwater is absorbed, stored and released, potentially affecting groundwater recharge and drainage patterns.

For Glen Lorne residents, that raises a particularly serious question: what happens to the area’s water security if the wetland and surrounding water system are permanently altered?

The residents’ appeal says concerns have already been raised over the wetland, boreholes, destruction of vegetation and interference with waterways, while works at the site have continued despite objections and appeals to authorities.

The potential environmental consequences are therefore not limited to the immediate construction footprint.

Changes to natural drainage can increase runoff and alter the movement of water through an area, while disturbance of groundwater-recharge areas can have implications for boreholes and other water sources. The removal of vegetation can also increase soil erosion and reduce the land’s ability to absorb rainfall.

However, the extent of any such impacts would need to be established through a proper independent environmental assessment.

That is precisely what residents are demanding.

In an urgent appeal addressed to the Praesidium, ministers, the City of Harare, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), councillors and fellow citizens, they are calling for an immediate stop to further works, an independent inspection of the site and an investigation into the reported alteration of the dam or watercourse and environmental damage.

‘Please go there yourself’

The residents have separately written to National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe, questioning whether the information reaching his office accurately reflects what is happening on the ground.

“You have relied, understandably, on officials and professionals to investigate and report back to you. But having watched what has continued to happen at this site, I respectfully ask you not to rely solely on what you are being told. Please go there yourself,” they wrote.

They urged Garwe to inspect the land, the extent of clearing and earthworks, the watercourse and the area around the dam, and compare what he sees with reports submitted to his office.

**Google Maps of stand 4717, Lytham Road showing the difference in landscape **

“You deserve to know whether the information upon which your decisions have been based truly reflects what is happening on the ground,” the residents said.

They warned that the issue had become bigger than a disagreement over a housing project, arguing that decisions taken under the authority of Government could eventually have to be accounted for.

“Please visit Stand 4717 before any further irreversible work is allowed to continue. Let your own eyes inform you,” they said.

City leadership under pressure

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has also been urged to intervene, with residents arguing that whatever the competing explanations over the project, the development is taking place within the city under the municipality’s watch.

“Whatever the competing explanations, processes or jurisdictions may be, this is happening in Harare, under your watch as Mayor of our city,” the residents wrote.

They said residents had written letters, attended meetings, approached authorities and followed available processes, yet the land continued to be cleared.

“Yet while everyone discusses who has authority and who is responsible, the land continues to be cleared and the environment continues to change before our eyes,” they said.

The residents also pointed to Google Maps imagery from January and June 2026, saying the changes visible between the two periods should concern authorities responsible for protecting the city.

A question of water security

The environmental dispute comes at a time when water security is already a major concern for urban communities, making the protection of natural water systems increasingly important.

For Glen Lorne residents, the issue is whether short-term development gains could come at the expense of long-term environmental resilience.

The appeal specifically identifies concerns around boreholes and waterways and warns of interference with the area’s water system.

Residents argue that private property rights cannot be considered in isolation from environmental and planning obligations.

“Private property rights are important. But they do not override environmental law, planning law, water security or the rights of communities,” they said.

They also reject the suggestion that their opposition is anti-development or anti-investment.

“This is not political. It is not anti-investment. It is not anti-development,” the residents said, describing their campaign instead as a demand for responsible development, adherence to the law and protection of Zimbabwe’s natural resources.

The residents say the question is no longer whether the project involves 96 houses, 70 houses or another number.

Their concern is whether construction should continue while fundamental environmental and regulatory questions remain unanswered.

They warn that allowing development to proceed despite hundreds of objections could establish a precedent beyond Glen Lorne, raising questions over the protection afforded to wetlands elsewhere and the weight given to community objections.

For the residents, the ultimate issue is accountability.

“Those entrusted with authority have the power to intervene. With that authority comes accountability,” they said.

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