We recently witnessed the destruction of homes, churches and other so called “illegal” structures in Harare. This exercise is led by MDC controlled councils working hand in gloves with the Zanu Pf appointed minister of local government. The Zimbabwe Republic Police is playing the role of accomplice in this immoral act.
The Police are not new to this kind of brute Force against Zimbabwean citizens. It’s daily routine for them and surely they go on with life ‘normally’ after destroying people’s homes. They are now the law themselves.
The next partner in this unholy alliance is the Ministry of Local Government.
It is the mandate of Local Government to provide decent housing to all citizens. They slept on duty and forgot about people. The 2018 ED election manifesto had a promise for housing for all. With all these unfulfilled promises they go on to destroy homes worse still during a pandemic outbreak which must have been used as a valid excuse to unite the country. This sad and unfortunate incidence is indicative of who they are and what they represent. The same house they destroy today their reconstruction will be used as a 2023 political gimmick to ambush unsuspecting voters.
It’s clear the regime has failed on its duties to provide housing for citizens. The fact that thousands of Zimbabweans live in these illegal structures is a sign of deep leadership failure. How were they allowed to build and stay without anyone stopping the illegality at embroic stage.
The third and last stakeholder in this diabolic partnership is MDC led council. This is a very sad development. To witness the opposition, which has for long identified with the suffering, getting into an alliance with the regime to destroy homes is sickening. It is mind boggling. City Fathers are expected to be compasionate.
We are in the middle of a serious lockdown where families are struggling to find food and shelter. The council sees an evil opportunity to pounce on those citizens by destroying their shelter. Even if you are justified in trying to bring sanity in urban areas this surely was ill timed.
Meanwhile, Regional Town and Country Planning Act which regulates town planning is being violated by Councillors and Management in Council, in collaboration with the bureaucrats and politicians in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. Corruption and political immunity is driving illegal settlements across Harare. This would explain their failure to control buildings taking shape all over.
There is spectacular failure by the Council’s Environment Management Committee to play its oversight on housing developments
Where then do Zimbabweans turn to? Just a few days ago following the extension of the lockdown, we got reports of people begging for food, families with no sources of water, which council and government is obliged to provide. Clearly the lives of our people are of no value in such circumstances.
Adding salt to the injury at a time when there is such a lockdown is political, social and economic carelessness.
We propose the following
– that all destructions be stopped henceforth
– that a commission to look into the sprouting of the illegal structures be set with the mandate of uncovering the rot in the system.
– council should work at a regularisation of the structures since they are people’s sources of livelihood. Informal markets exist all over the world.
– alternatives must be secured before people are moved.
-true devolution must be prioritised to decongest Harare.
– the nation is currently under lockdown so destroying people’s homes will definitely put them in harm’s way exposing them to the coronavirus. We therefore ask that all demolitions be suspended until alternative accommodation is arranged,
Zimbabweans should turn to God when the going gets this tough. The failure of Zimbabwe has been a failure of leadership
Jacob Ngarivhume
TZ President