Glen Lorne residents take wetland development fight to court

HARARE — Glen Lorne residents have taken their fight against a disputed cluster housing development to court, seeking an urgent interdict to halt further work on land they say includes environmentally sensitive wetland along Lytham Road.

The court action marks an escalation of a dispute involving Zhuomu International (Pvt) Ltd and its proposed 89-unit gated cluster housing development on Stand 4717 in Glen Lorne.

Residents said they filed court papers Thursday after months of challenging work at the site and appealing to government agencies and officials to intervene.

In a fresh appeal issued on behalf of the Glen Lorne community, Karen Mutasa said residents had resorted to litigation after exhausting other avenues.

“Today, the residents of Glen Lorne have reached a point we desperately hoped would never be necessary,” Mutasa said.

“After exhausting every avenue available to us and repeatedly appealing to the responsible authorities, residents have had to approach the courts seeking an urgent interdict to stop further destruction of the land on Lytham Road, where extensive works have continued under the guise of a proposed development.”

The dispute dates back several months and centres on the environmental and planning approvals for the project.

A City of Harare public notice previously invited objections to an application to construct 89 cluster houses on the property. Residents said more than 400 objections were lodged against the project.

Residents have also previously acknowledged the Environmental Management Agency’s position that about 70% of the property is classified as non-wetland and 30% as wetland. They alleged, however, that EMA’s director general told a July 10 site meeting that the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment permit had been revoked for review.

The dispute intensified in August after Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe convened a meeting involving the developer, EMA, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, City of Harare and other stakeholders. Residents subsequently alleged that officials had directed the developer to stop work while outstanding regulatory and legal issues were addressed. The ministry did not publicly release minutes confirming what was said at the meeting.

Residents have also alleged that boreholes were drilled without required permits, indigenous trees were cleared and earthworks were carried out near the Umwinsi River. They previously accused the developer of continuing work despite instructions from government officials to stop.

The latest concern involves what residents describe as a large excavation inside the property. They say they understood that work was limited to a perimeter wall and are questioning whether the excavation is authorised.

That claim could not immediately be independently verified.

Mutasa said the dispute had grown beyond the immediate interests of Glen Lorne residents and raised broader questions about protection of Zimbabwe’s wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.

“Investment must be welcomed. Development must be encouraged. Zimbabwe needs both,” she said. “But investment must respect Zimbabwe — our laws, our environment, our institutions, our sovereignty and the structures established to safeguard our national resources.”

Residents are calling for a national audit of wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas and stronger protection against development they say threatens water systems and other natural resources.

“There is no amount of money that can recreate a wetland once it has been destroyed,” Mutasa said. “No investor can manufacture a river.”

In August, residents warned they would seek urgent High Court relief if work continued, saying court intervention was necessary to preserve the site pending resolution of the dispute.

The latest filing follows through on that warning.

Zhuomu International could not immediately be reached for comment when the dispute was previously reported. EMA, the Local Government Ministry, Forestry Commission and City of Harare had also not responded at the time.

The residents said they were not opposed to investment or development but wanted work stopped until the legality and environmental implications of the project were determined.

“This is not about politics. It should not be about race, wealth, connections, nationality or who knows whom,” Mutasa said. “It is about Zimbabwe.”

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