By A Correspondent- More than 16,500 homes in Epworth are set to be demolished in what is shaping up to be one of Zimbabwe’s largest mass evictions in recent years, evoking memories of past forced removals that left thousands homeless.
The government says the targeted structures were built on land originally set aside for schools, clinics, industrial zones, and key infrastructure such as Harare Drive. The latest crackdown comes amid a broader campaign to restore urban planning order and curb the influence of land barons, who have illegally parcelled out state land to desperate home seekers.
This development emerged during a workshop on Thursday, where local authorities in Harare Metropolitan Province presented updates on their draft master plans to Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Charles Tavengwa.
Epworth Local Board’s Spatial Planner, Mr Pardon Chibuwe, said the affected homes were located on land meant for public amenities.
“Our study shows that about 16,500 households have illegally settled on land meant for schools, clinics, and industrial use,” he said. “These settlements create land-use conflicts that the local board must now urgently resolve.”
Chibuwe blamed unscrupulous land barons for the illegal occupation and said the local board was exploring densification as a partial solution. This would involve downsizing residential stands and constructing vertical housing units to accommodate displaced residents — though this process would still involve some evictions.
“We have about 2,500 stands averaging 300m² earmarked for densification,” he said, acknowledging that Epworth now has no land left for essential services such as cemeteries, schools, churches, or industry.
The same concerns were echoed by Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, who warned that illegal settlements now threaten to outnumber legal, rate-paying households in the city.
“We plan to demolish about 5,000 houses, but this is just a small fraction of the over 100,000 illegal structures across Harare,” Mafume said. “Children are walking 8 km to school, clinics are non-existent, and homes are flooding — all because of unregulated development.”
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Mafume added:
“These illegal homes are built on schools, clinics, open spaces, and sports grounds. We paused demolitions due to elections and the SADC summit, but the issue must now be corrected.”
Chitungwiza Municipality’s Director of Works, Mr Talent Mushinga, also raised the alarm, noting that residential sprawl without industrial and commercial development has left the satellite town heavily reliant on Harare for jobs and services.
“Forty-six years after independence, Chitungwiza remains predominantly residential, with no central business district or high street of its own,” he said. “We’re struggling to rein in land barons and balance residential growth with industrial development.”
Minister Tavengwa said the master planning process was part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “Call to Action” initiative, launched in 2023 to improve local governance and service delivery.
“Of the four metropolitan local authorities, three — Epworth, Chitungwiza, and Ruwa — have submitted their draft plans. Harare is still finalising theirs, partly due to funding delays,” he said.
A Troubled History of Evictions
The looming demolitions in Epworth are reminiscent of Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, when the government razed informal settlements across the country, leaving over 700,000 people homeless or without livelihoods, according to United Nations estimates. The operation drew international condemnation for its brutality and lack of alternative housing plans.
Despite years of promises to regularise informal settlements, Zimbabwe continues to experience land chaos driven by urban migration, a broken housing market, and corruption within local government and political structures.