via Local government ministry orders destruction of 10,000 homes | SW Radio Africa by Tererai Karimakwenda on Friday, October 18, 2013
The chaos and corruption that surrounds the allocation of land by the Local Government Ministry has struck again, and this time in Chitungwiza, where the local Council has been ordered to destroy at least 10,000 houses.
According to the Daily News newspaper, the directive came from the Local Government Ministry. The paper quoted Chitungwiza’s newly-appointed Mayor, Philip Mutoti, as saying: “There is an order that we destroy at least 10,000 houses built illegally.”
But there was no proposal of alternative housing for the thousands of people who would become homeless, should the directive be carried out.
The houses at risk in Chitungwiza have been deemed “illegal” by officials because they were built on wetlands and some are above sewer main pipes. But questions are being asked as to who allocated the plots in the first place and how could so many homes have been constructed without officials being involved.
Arthur Taderera from the Chitungwiza Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHRRA) described the directive as “perpetuating madness”, and criticized both the Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo and the Chitungwiza Council, for allowing the situation to get to this point.
“How can you have 10,000 houses coming up without the officials noticing it. They may say it was done corruptly, but it was through officials so you cannot punish the victim at both ends,” Taderera explained.
He added: “Who gave the people the stands in the first place? And if it was the Council, then why should they turn around now and want to destroy houses which have already been built before they build other houses for those people to get into.”
Taderera said it would be another “Murambatsvina” if the houses were destroyed, making reference to the government ordered destruction of homes and livelihoods that displaced nearly a million people in 2005.
“It was the most inhumane thing I have ever witnessed in my life and we as an Association would not want to see that.”
The activist also accused the Ministry of “perpetuating” corruption by allocating stands to families for cash, and then evicting them in order to make more money from the same stands.
Explaining the corruption further Taderera said: “First it was corruptly given. And now they are destroying it so that they can again corruptly allocate that same stand because they know those people will pay more money if it happens that way.”
Taderera described the Ministry of Local Government as “the mother ministry”, saying none of the corrupt deals could possibly be done without their knowledge.
But the Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo continues to function with impunity. He suspended several Harare councillors who investigated corrupt land deals that he was implicated in around the capital. And it appears he is stamping his authority in Chitungwiza as well.
COMMENTS
Mwari muripi? Honestly as if to say the problems we have are not enough. What kind oaf government is this , always making its own people suffer? Aaah puuuu
Minister is right bhora mugedhi
some of the structures on wetlands were allocated by the council with offer letters from the council eg stands facing council offices. samatenga pindirai
Destroy 10,000 houses? Murambatsvina 2 – A crime against humanity.
murambatsvina 2
This is nothing but barbaric!!! What is stopping them from legalising the housing and what plans do they have for the poor people who will once again become victims of this horror man ignatious chombo….sleep well mr chombo and cover youself with all your riches…you are the enemy of the people!
Pathetic and barbaric that is what it is just as ZANU PF and its demented leader are pathetic and barbaric,
Pamberi ne ZANU pfubvu, musangano weruzhinji. Pamberi nehutsinye ku Vanhu!!! Pamberi nekutonga zvechisimba! Pasi neruzhinji! People will only stand up if they’re made to suffer endlessly. Havasati vandzva butter!
The begginning of the punishment promised to Harare and Bulawayo by Murgabarge for voting against him.
GO AHEAD CHOMBO .USATYE KUMAMA DHODI NEKURUTI UNOZOITA NZARA.ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL WILL NEVER BE LEGAL
This goes to show how low this government is prepared to stoop in order to get what they want. Stands were deliberatley allocated to people in areas not meant for settlement in order to buy votes. Now that the elections have come and gone and are no longer a threat to Zanu for the time being at least, that dececion can now be reversed. This is a lesson to those people who trusted that Zanu will look after them. They do not have the time and money for that. You are all on your own and need to cast your votes wisely next time.
retribution for not voting dictator.chombo declare your sssets first.tapes are dry.your local authorities must provide water and solve sewerage problems first.loose cannon.dont behave like you own everyone
Hatisati tatanga Gushungo vanhu ava vakaramba kukuvhoterai makawina ne nikuv.vanhu vachamama
is this what we faught for.chombo don t soil my party for your corrupt ends .why do you want to regularise fredrick mabamba structures only.partners in crime
i hope , those in authority, to come to terms of sitting down and legalise, this units of houses, this is our land and our country, it is human babaric true ti destroy a home, someone wrked so hard to build, i appeal to th presdent to use presidential powers , Gushungo chete, hadzipwanywe idzo mark my words, musadherere baba chatunga ,
That is why l left Zimbabwe. I did not run away from my beutiful country. I ran away from the pathetic, barbaric, mass murdering dictators who are forcefully holding Zimbabwe hostage. Before l left, I tried to fight. But truth be said, MAJORITY OF MY FELLOW ZIMBABWEANS ARE OUTSTANDING, WORLD CLASS COWARDS. At least in the country where l migrated to, there is democracy and am treated as a human being. ZANU PF is a pig that survive on eating its piglets. I sqaurely lay all this blame on Morgan Tsvangirai and his useless MDC which is a toothless bulldog. In 2008 we were about to destroy and crush ZANU PF and this foolish Tsvangirai decided to become a human shield to the crazy old Robert. Zivai henyu kuti chisi hachieri musi wacharimwa, tichadzoka hedu kuzokupedzisai kana nguva yakwana.
Ivo vanhu tinodiriko zvahara; zvakare zvatinopuwa a few weeks or days before elections? After more than 30 yrs of such open abuses, by ZANU PF hatidzidzi takaita sei nhayi vanhu veZimbabwe?? Chokwadi, vamwe vedu mapatire edu otonetsa kuti mungabatsirika sei?
Inga wani bhunu rakati ‘Once beaten…….’ vedu vangwaru vakati ‘Chakachenjedza ………’. Wisdom yose iyi haiapply seiko kumunhu weZimbabwe?? Haaa, munotisemesa, nokuramba muchingoitwa sezvana zvakaberekwa zuro – paelection yoga-yoga.
Kana munhu usinga kwanisi kuva nemba kanaStand muTown, imhosva here? Enda kuruzevha – uopavo sabhuku $200 at most okupa munda wovaka woitavo musha, zvapera izvo. Mudhorobha wogara hako seroja pakuswera muchipiwa panhu pasingaite kuti mugovavhotera vagokuputsirai dzimba dzcho after that.
Tikwanireyi, vanhu veZimbabwe. Musaita samazengeya avanhu. Haaa! Munotisemesa nokusa funga kwenyu mhani! iye waka mboti munhu wose angaita imba kana musha muTwn ndiyani? Zvino kumaruwa kwacho kozogariwa nani?
ZANU pF has lost all the spirits of a government elected by the people for the people. At this rate, I will say people benefited much better from the white paper Bishop Abel Muzorewa. Truly in Zim where it costs so much to build a house now within a flash of a second; once again people will be homeless. Why not punish the very people who corruplly allocated these stands? The issue lies with Chombo’s department incompetence. Chombo should resign rather than destroy the houses for the poor
We have Warbury Mews coming up in Sunridge there in a wetland and soon after we buy the stands and build they will come and destroy if the seller crosses the political line. Yes it is a wetland nobody can dispute that but still stands are being serviced. making people victims of inept leadership.