Harare City Council Speaks Out on the Demolition of Houses in Belvedere Amid Social Media Outcry

Harare City Council Clarifies on the Demolition of Illegal Housed in Belvedere, Cites Fake Land Papers

Harare City Council recently carried out demolitions of illegally built homes in the Belvedere area, specifically in Ridgeview.

Videos and images of excavators tearing down newly constructed homes quickly circulated on social media, triggering an outcry among Zimbabweans.

Many netizens criticized the council, accusing it of being insensitive to affected residents.

Also Read: Zimbabwe High Court Protects Homeowners in Landmark Ruling Against Demolitions

City Council Explains Demolitions and Addresses Concerns

In response to the public backlash, the Harare City Council took to Facebook to explain the circumstances surrounding the demolitions.

Harare City Council Speaks Out on the Demolition of Houses in Belvedere (Image Credit: Facebook)

According to the council, dozens of homes in Ridgeview, Belvedere, had been built with fraudulent documents, with some residents claiming state-sanctioned land allocations that proved to be false.

“Dozens of houses in an area in Ridgeview, Belvedere were built using fake papers with some illegal settlers claiming that they were allocated the land by the state.”

The council further disclosed that the Belvedere structures were not demolished for the first time. According to Council, these illegal homes had initially been destroyed last year, but the occupants, encouraged by land barons who sold them the plots under false pretenses, defied city orders and rebuilt their houses.

The City Council stressed that the residents had received prior warnings and were asked to vacate before any demolition action was taken.

“The illegal structures were initially destroyed last year but the occupiers, at the instigation of the land barons who sold them the land, defied the City of Harare and erected new structures. The City of Harare issued the illegal settlers prior warning to vacate the settlement before the demolitions.”

Authorities Warn of Increased Demolition Activity

Acting Director of Planning, Samuel Nyabeza, highlighted the city’s commitment to intensifying demolitions of unauthorized structures in Harare. He stressed the importance of restoring urban order by ensuring that all settlements are built with necessary approvals and essential services.

Nyabeza noted that housing developments need to be carefully planned with access to critical amenities such as water and sewer systems before construction begins

Nyabeza encouraged residents to verify land ownership and council approvals before purchasing land or beginning construction.

“We have to restore order in the city and we will not tolerate a situation where people just build houses without approvals and permission from council. A settlement has to be planned with all amenities in place before people start building.

You cannot build a house without council-approved plans; you cannot build where there are no sewer and water facilities. We urge residents to check with the City of Harare before buying land. Even when building a structure, every stage should have council approvals,” he remarked.

Demolitions to Continue City-Wide

The City of Harare has made it clear that these demolitions are part of a broader effort to eliminate illegal settlements.

According to the council, similar demolitions are scheduled to take place across various parts of the city in the coming days to maintain lawful urban planning and prevent unauthorized building activity.

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