Council to demolish 324 illegal settlements

via Council to demolish 324 illegal settlements – DailyNews Live 28 September 2014 by Helen Kadirire

HARARE – Harare City Council (HCC), has served 324 illegal settlers in Glen Norah with 48-hour notices to move or risk having their structures demolished.

HCC spokesperson Leslie Gwindi yesterday said the eviction notices are in line with Section 18(2) of the Urban Councils by-laws SI 109 of 1979.

Gwindi said the move is a drive by the city to restore sanity to Harare as people were now illegally selling, leasing and occupying council land.

“We urge the people to voluntarily move off the land before council removes them. The area adjacent to Shiriyedenga and Chembira primary schools bounded by Zvimba, Mushayabandi, Mutimurefu and Sebakwe streets is all council land occupied by illegal settlers,” Gwindi said.

He said the vacant land is a public open space and for recreational purposes, while the rest is a wetland.

Earlier, residents in Mufakose had told the Daily News on Sunday that there were some rogue political elements masquerading as Zanu PF youths that are parcelling out State land in the suburb. They said the youths, peg open spaces and start to charge money for a stand on the so-called “infills”.

“They started telling people that there was no road through the open spaces as it had been set aside for residential development,” one resident said.

Mufakose councillor Moffat Alisen confirmed the land grab by the youths saying it was unfortunate that they were using their party connections for illegal activities.

On Friday, Chitungwiza residents ran amok following the demolition of properties by council.

Chitungwiza town clerk George Makunde, admitted council had resumed its demolition exercise sanctioned by a government audit report on the illegal land deals in the town.

Section 74 of the country’s Constitution states that no person may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished, without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstances.