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George Maponga
Masvingo Bureau
THIRTEEN houses built on wetlands in Masvingo city’s Runyararo West suburb are facing demolition, as the municipality moves to eradicate illegal settlements.
Families that were housed along Davies Mugabe Street in Runyararo West recently lost household property worth thousands of dollars after their homes were flooded due incessant rains.
This cast the spotlight on land barons who allegedly damaged a small dam at Victoria Ranch that used to harness flood water, to open more space for developing housing stands.
Town clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said the 13 houses would be demolished as they were built in a wetland on the fringes of a perennial stream.
He said the families would be compensated with alternative stands where similar structures would be built for them.
“We have identified 13 houses that have to be demolished in Runyararo West,” said Eng Mukaratirwa. “They are built on a wetland and the situation has been worsened by destruction of a small dam upstream that used to trap water thereby controlling flooding in the event of rains.”
Eng Mukaratirwa said land developers at Victoria Ranch who were behind the worsening of flooding in Davies Mugabe Street would be held to account for the problem.
A recommendation would be sent to Government for the affected families to be compensated using proceeds from devolution funds allocated to Masvingo.
Land developers at Victoria Ranch have been accused of arbitrarily parcelling land to desperate home seekers on wetlands and stream banks.
An estimated 12 000 new housing units that are being built in Victoria Ranch on stands bought from land barons might fall foul of the law.
Online Reporter