adminYeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
Chitungwiza residents are pressing the municipality to formulate a master plan urgently that will guide developments in Zimbabwe’s third largest urban council, which has about 25 000 illegal properties that are prejudicing the municipality of millions of dollars in unpaid revenue.
According to a recent statement by Harare Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Tafadzwa Muguti, Harare province has 52 000 illegal homes of which 25 000 are in Chitungwiza.
Residents who spoke to The Herald castigated Chitungwiza Municipality for allowing such a menace and have called the council to consider regularising some of the structures while preparing the master plan.
Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association (CAMERA) director Mr Marvellous Khumalo said the process of coming up with a new master plan should involve all stakeholders.
“It is a pity that the municipality has more than 25 000 properties that are said to be ‘illegal’. I am not sure what criteria is council using to come with a conclusion that these properties are illegal,” he said.
“It is worrisome how council has been allocating stands and allowing beneficiaries to develop in the absence of a master plan and what has been informing the way how the town is growing?”
Council should consider regularising some of the so-called illegal properties and urgently come with a master plan.
“This masterplan should come out of an inclusive consultative process where major stakeholders will be involved so that there will be a buy-in so that it will be implementable,” said Mr Khumalo.
“The ideal was for the master plan to have been in place first, then development comes following the pattern prescribed in the master plan.”
Mr Khumalo said Chitungwiza Municipality, which was bankrupt, could actually resuscitate its finances through proper regularisation.
“The best way for council to raise revenue is through the regularisation of the so-called illegal properties that do not violate development control measures such as those outside road servitudes, those not under electricity pylons, those not on top of sewer lines or those not on areas such as wetlands,” he said.
“Council will generate millions of dollars through this regularisation.”
Harare Residents Trust director, Mr Precious Shumba, said crafting a master plan should be the top priority for Chitungwiza Municipality, while implementing recommendations made by investigative commissions that dealt with the affairs of the local authority.
“The Chitungwiza Municipality has to initially implement the provisions of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act which is the main law governing town planning in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“Developing their master plan is a top priority that they should focus on.
“In the meantime, the municipality should implement all the recommendations made by investigating committees into land sales in the municipality, including the findings of the report of the Justice Tendai Uchena Commission which we understand local authorities were given.”
Land barons involving councillors and officials have reigned supreme in the local authority with minimal interference from the local authority, hence if resources permit, they should simply reclaim their land taken over by the land barons and safeguard wetlands and recreational spaces which have all gone.
Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest) director Alice Kuvheya said it was important for council to implement recommendations that they received from residents.
“Not having a master plan is the main reason why this town is not developing as land barons and some council officials continue to parcel out land illegally,” she said. “Council is not engaging us as residents in its operations right now.
“Last week they had a strategic meeting out of the Harare, but we were not invited. Central Government should ensure that Chitungwiza comes up with this master plan instead of just interfering in other matters.”
Responding to the calls from residents, Chitungwiza acting Mayor Kevin Mutimbanyoka said plans were in progress to come up with a master plan.
“In terms of classifying the illegal stands, no detailed audit was done to establish how many stands are commercial and how many are residential,” he said.
“However, there is a council resolution that we must have a master plan and recently two stakeholder meetings were held as the roadmap of master plan being formulated and an inception report is being prepared and resources are being mobilised.”
Clr Mutimbanyoka said council was going to conduct a regularisation exercise for some of the illegal properties.
“Illegal stands in servitudes, wetlands and other undesignated sites will be removed through regularisation process, and others permitted will be regularised,” he said.
Online Reporter