Harare City Council demolishes dozens of houses in Belvedere! The City of Harare has demolished dozens of houses in the Ridgeview area Belvedere on Thursday, November 7, claiming the structures were built with fraudulent documentation.
In a statement, the city of Harare explained that the illegal buildings had already been demolished once last year.
However, the residents, encouraged by land barons who had sold them the land, ignored the council’s orders and rebuilt the structures.
Harare City Council is being demolished
The council said advance warnings had been issued to the illegal settlers, directing them to vacate the area before the demolition took place.
Samuel Nyabeza, acting director of planning, confirmed that the city is intensifying efforts to remove illegal settlements.
He also issued a stern warning to the land barons stating that they will be arrested without hesitation or favoritism. Nyabeza said:
We must restore order in the city and we will not tolerate a situation where people just build houses without approval and permission from the municipality. Before people start building, a settlement must be planned in which all amenities are available.
You cannot build a house without plans approved by the municipality; You cannot build where there are no sewerage and water supplies. We call on residents to contact the municipality City of Harare before purchasing land. Even when building a structure, each phase must require approval from the municipality.
The City of Harare said the land barons who sold land to unsuspecting residents of Belvedere have previously been arrested and are out on bail.
In the meantime, the municipality has vowed to expand its demolition efforts to several parts of the city, making it clear that it will not tolerate any form of land invasion.
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