Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
HARARE City Council will demolish a security wall built across a railway track in Willowvale Industrial area today, after discovering it was constructed without approval, the Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, has said.
In a post on his official X account yesterday, Mayor Mafume said the council’s development control team had visited the owner of the property where the illegal wall was built and advised that all walls require council approval.
“Our development control team has visited the owner. Apparently, they believed NRZ had no objections. We advised that all walls require council approval, and the wall or part thereof within the required distance from the railways will have to be demolished. Demolition will take place tomorrow (today) Thank you!”
Permanent wall construction, including precast walls, requires an approved plan from the City of Harare and failure to obtain necessary permits can lead to demolition, as it’s considered an illegal structure.
The council’s decision follows widespread public concern after images of a security wall constructed on what appeared to be an active railway line went viral on social media over the weekend.
The public outcry also prompted the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to conduct a fact-finding mission, which revealed that the wall was constructed over a disused and privately owned railway siding that once serviced a now-defunct factory at 44 Tilbury Road.
“The NRZ conducted a fact-finding mission and established that the siding is no longer operational and is privately owned,” the statement read. “These sidings are used by companies to transport goods from our yards to their premises, but this particular line has been out of use for some time.”
While the NRZ emphasised that it has no jurisdiction over the disused line, it noted that the City of Harare was reviewing the matter.
The company behind the construction, identified only as a Chinese-owned firm, explained that the wall was erected to secure the property from theft.
A director at the company, Ms Li, confirmed to NRZ officials that the measure was necessary to protect their newly acquired investment.
