By A Correspondent- Hundreds of families in Donnybrook Chizhanje, Mabvuku, face imminent eviction after the government issued a directive ordering them to vacate the area by the end of the month.
The eviction has reignited fears of a return to Operation Murambatsvina, the 2005 mass demolition campaign that left over 700,000 Zimbabweans homeless.
The land in question is claimed by Shelter Zimbabwe, a private land developer suspected of having long-standing ties to top ZANU PF politicians.
Shelter Zimbabwe has accused so-called land barons of illegally subdividing and selling housing stands to desperate home seekers.
The developer argues that the settlements violate the Regional, Town, and Country Planning Act, and insists that the land was never approved for residential use.
According to residents, the evictions come after years of uncertainty and broken promises. Many purchased their stands from politically connected land barons operating under the guise of community development.
These middlemen, often protected by ruling party officials, sold the stands without formal title deeds or municipal approval.
Shelter Zimbabwe’s ownership of the land traces back to a controversial allocation process during Zimbabwe’s land reform era, when vast tracts of peri-urban land were handed to politically aligned developers under opaque circumstances.
Several directors of Shelter Zimbabwe are said to have close personal and business ties to senior ZANU PF officials, raising concerns that the evictions are part of a broader political and economic strategy to consolidate urban land control.
In many such cases, residents say they were encouraged by ZANU PF-linked cooperatives and ward leaders to “regularize” their occupation through small payments, with promises that the land would eventually be formally approved. “They told us to build and that the party was working on our papers,” said a Mabvuku resident, who now fears losing her home.
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) confirmed the dispute and issued a stern warning to home seekers.
The looming demolitions have stirred painful memories of Murambatsvina, which the United Nations once described as a “violation of international law.” With elections behind them, critics say the ruling party is now clamping down on settlements it once tolerated for votes.
Meanwhile, residents of Donnybrook Chizhanje are pleading for intervention and a halt to the demolitions. “We built our homes here because we had nowhere else to go. If they destroy our houses, where do they expect us to live?” asked another resident.