Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
URBAN local authorities across Manicaland’s seven districts are poised for unprecedented expansion following the Government’s withdrawal of the Conditional Moratorium on land use changes.
The move gives councils the greenlight to immediately roll out their approved master plans under the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act.
The moratorium, imposed in May last year, had restricted local authorities from altering land use within their jurisdictions.
Its lifting now opens the door for rapid development, particularly in urban centres.
Speaking on the implications of the decision, Secretary for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Abiot Maronge, said the development is expected to spur growth and modernisation across the province.
He noted that while the moratorium had helped restore order in urban spatial planning, it also stalled progress in many local authorities.
With the restrictions now lifted, councils are expected to balance orderly planning with the urgent need for infrastructure expansion and service delivery.
“There were concerns relating to haphazard development that was happening in some cities around the country. Some cities in the country had an invasion of open spaces in urban areas. Issues to do with land barons that were taking advantage of the situation. However, I must hasten to say here in Manicaland, we did not have any such challenges relating to haphazard development in urban areas.
“City of Mutare and its sister local authorities in the province were handling spatial planning in terms of the dictates of the law and relevant policy guidelines.
“So, when the moratorium came in, being a national policy, it was affecting everyone, every local authority, including the complaint ones and this includes our local authorities here in Manicaland who had been compliant.
“The moratorium put everything on hold, change of use and reservations, and yet our local authorities in urban areas have lots of pressure in terms of new investments coming in, people wanting to put up a lot of business facilities, issues to do with densification which is necessary given our limitations in terms of space.
“Hence, that moratorium had the effect of holding or indirectly causing some stagnation in terms of development in our urban local authority areas in particular, but it was necessary for Government to make that policy decision to allow local authorities to put their houses in order, and in particular the Government wanted all local authorities to establish fully fledged spatial planning units that will ensure orderly development across the country,” said Mr Maronge.
He said the moratorium slowed down progress on most local authorities.
“The indirect effect for local authorities like ours was to slow down development. You realise that because of that pressure there is a need to facilitate the establishment of commercial business around the city. We therefore welcome the decision made by the Minister, whose effect will then pave way for the necessary expansion.
“We want to modernise our cities. Some of the areas that were previously reserved for residential purposes, even outside the city centre, must now be converted for commercial use, and that is a welcome development.
“We foresee the local authorities in our province taking advantage of the lifting of the moratorium by starting to process the application for change in land use which were now piling up.
“But as they do so we expect them to manage development control in terms of the law,” said Mr Maronge.
He said most local authorities in Manicaland had their master plans approved, and expectations are that expansion and growth will be guided by those local authority blueprints.
“Most of them (local authorities) have completed their master plans, including City of Mutare, and we believe most of the local authorities will now put into effect what has been on paper in terms of their master plans.
“I must also add that local economies are growing in the province. That is a national trend. Our GDP is growing. The effect of that when you are in urban areas is that some of the land that would have been preserved for particular use must necessarily be converted to emerging uses, to new uses, if you want. That is the effect of the economic growth that is taking place,” he said, adding that:
“The lifting of the moratorium will therefore facilitate that expansion and economic growth because most of the applications for change of land use are intended to converted land that was reserved for residential to business or commercial purposes.
“By doing that we would unlock value and create jobs and that is why we welcome that lifting of the moratorium in the province.” said Mr Maronge.
In a Notice of Withdrawal of Conditional Moratorium addressed to all mayors and chairpersons, chief executive officers, town clerks, town and board secretaries, Local Government and Public Works Minister, Honourable Daniel Garwe said local authorities are no longer prohibited from exercising change of land use and change of reservation which the moratorium had imposed.
The notice reads:
“It is hereby notified that the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, has, with effect from 31st March 2026 withdrawn the Conditional Moratorium which had been imposed in terms of Section 69 of Regional, Town and Country Planning Act, Chapter 29:12 on change of uses (Section 26 (3) and change of reservations (Section 49 (3) and (4) applications which was issued on the 2nd day of May 2025.
“With this withdrawal of the Conditional Moratorium, local authorities are no longer prohibited from exercising the above quoted Local Planning Authority powers in respect of change of use and change of reservation which the moratorium had imposed.”
Minister Garwe noted that the decision was reached after consideration that local authorities have significantly improved their internal planning and development control capacity.
“The decision to withdraw has been taken after careful appraisal and assessment, which generally show that local authorities have significantly improved their internal planning and development control capacity, including compliance with conditions stipulated therein.
“The ministry is satisfied that the measures put in place are adequate to address the challenges that had caused the moratorium to be imposed.
“Local authorities are encouraged to continue strengthening the newly established Departments of Spatial Planning and to exercise robust development control measures.
“Further, the ministry, through its Inspectorate Department, shall ensure compliance with the array of measures which local authorities undertook to abide by in order to achieve the objectives of orderly and functional settlements,” noted Minister Garwe’s notice.
