City of Harare sitting on 5 000 demolition orders: Minister Garwe

Harmony Agere

The City of Harare is sitting on about 5 000 house demolition orders amid growing concerns over unregulated settlements and construction on wetlands, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has said.

Speaking during the Land Tenure High Level Stakeholder Breakfast Meeting, Minister Garwe said Government is concerned about the proliferation of illegal settlements in Harare, warning that such developments could pose serious public health risks.

“Unregulated settlements in Harare can be a threat to public health,” he said.

Minister Garwe urged home seekers to avoid buying land from illegal land dealers, popularly known as Masubhuku or land barons, and discouraged construction on wetlands.

“Let us not encourage people to build on wetlands, buy from Masubhuku or land barons,” he said.

“Let me emphasise that Government does not demolish houses and we cannot interfere with court processes. Currently, City of Harare is sitting on 5 000 demolition orders and in some cases we have tried to delay the process and provide solutions.”

He said the challenge of rapid urbanisation could partly be addressed by unlocking economic opportunities in rural areas and growth points.

“Some of the overcrowding and overpopulation that we see in some suburbs is a result of rural-urban migration. If we empower those in the rural areas, then we address this problem,” he said.

Minister Garwe said access to secure, bankable land is critical to unlocking investment and economic activity outside major cities.

“Growth points also need access to land they can take to the bank and get funding,” he said.

He said the Ministry of Local Government is part of Government’s broader efforts to ensure that land contributes meaningfully to the country’s ambition to attain upper-middle-income status by 2030.

He noted that significant economic activity is already taking place in growth points and rural areas, but lack of access to secure land is limiting their expansion.

“There are a lot of economic activities in growth points and rural areas, but without access to land, their growth may be minimal,” he said.