Zimbabwe Bans Living On Unserviced Housing Stands Without Basic Amenities

Govt To Make It Illegal To Occupy And Stay On Unserviced Housing Stands Without Sewer Systems And Roads

The Zimbabwe government is set to introduce a tough new law that will make it a criminal offence to occupy or sell unserviced housing stands. This major crackdown aims to stop the spread of chaotic, irregular settlements that lack basic amenities like roads and sewer systems. The move formally ends the controversial “parallel development” policy that has been blamed for creating sprawling suburbs without water, power, or sewerage.

According to the Sunday Mail, the new rules are contained in the Urban State Land Management Guidelines released by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. These guidelines come after decades of illegal land sales and fraudulent allocations orchestrated by land barons.

A New Criminal Offence For Illegal Occupation

At the heart of the new framework is a binding legal instrument to punish those who illegally sell, occupy, or build on urban state land. A new government body, the Urban State Land Office, will be the sole authority to approve such activities.

The policy is direct. It says:

“Selling and occupation of unplanned and unserviced land shall be criminalised. A statutory instrument shall be promulgated to criminalise illegal sale, occupation, planning, survey and construction on urban State land without authority of the Urban State Land Office. Anyone in violation of the provisions of the statutory instrument shall be guilty of an offence liable to prosecution.”

To safeguard the public, the guidelines demand that developers secure both a certificate of compliance and a certificate to sell before advertising or transferring stands. Home seekers are encouraged to ask for these certificates to verify transactions.

An End To Parallel Development

The guidelines also bring a final end to “parallel development.” This policy, introduced around the year 2000, allowed developers to move people onto stands before sewerage systems, water pipes, or roads were built.

The new rules mark a total reversal. The guidelines declare:

“In this instance, all (housing) schemes are to be serviced fully and be connected to off-site infrastructure. Local authorities and national Government shall be responsible for the off-site infrastructure.”

This means no one will be allowed to move onto a stand until roads, sewer connections, and other essential services are complete. Local authorities, working with central government, must ensure off-site infrastructure is in place first.

New Urban Land Office And Waiting Lists

To coordinate the changes, the government will establish an Urban State Land Office within the Ministry of Local Government. It will employ legal experts, surveyors, planners, and GIS specialists. The office will oversee all allocations and ensure proper planning standards are met.

Transparency will also be enforced. Councils, together with the new office, will now maintain official waiting lists for stands. There will be separate lists for residential, industrial, institutional, and commercial land. These lists must be updated every year, kept open to the public, and recorded in a standardised format.

The guidelines state:

“Applicants must pay a reasonable application fee reflective of prevailing socio-economic conditions, but not so high as to be exclusionary. Renewal of applications will be required annually to remain on the list.”

Allocations will strictly follow the lists, with any exceptions requiring written authority from senior government officials or council resolutions.

Priority will go to first-time homeowners. Applicants must already live in the area, be employed or running a business within the council’s jurisdiction, and show they have the means to develop the stand. Only Zimbabwean citizens or holders of investment certificates from the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency will qualify.

The government says these measures are meant to restore order after nearly 20 years of irregular developments that left many families without basic services.