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Blessings Chidakwa
Municipal Reporter
The demolition of illegal structures in Harare will now give the city council the chance to properly plan the city while also regularising the informal traders so that they maximise on revenue collection, stakeholders said yesterday.
Illegal structures that have been erected along roadways are now being demolished as obstructions under the Roads Act, and others have been erected on open public spaces and other land grabbed without authority with the MDC-dominated city council doing nothing to stop the developments. Sometimes corrupt councillors and council officials have been actively encouraging illegal developments.
Corrupt individuals including MDC Alliance councillors and rogue council officials who were benefiting from the mess have been pulling all shots to stop the present demolitions in roadways being pushed by the inter-ministerial taskforce set up to ease congestion.
City planner Dr Percy Toriro yesterday said the country needed planned orderly cities that must reflect and solve societal problems and aspirations.
Dr Toriro said planning in cities comprises two aspects – future planning, which plans to meet people’s dreams and aspirations on one hand, and development control which ensures everyone complies with what is in the plans.
“In undertaking future planning, master and local plans are prepared. These are thoroughly engaging documents that involve expert town planners interacting with beneficiaries of plans to ensure the plans capture their housing, employment, transport, water, recreation and other needs.
“The development control aspect focuses on compliance with plans to ensure there is order and environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, most plans are old and no longer address current challenges such as the changes in economic structure,” he said.
Dr Toriro said the Harare master plan approved in 1993 was outdated and cannot be applied to solve challenges that have arisen in almost 40 years.
“There was no traffic congestion, water shortages, housing shortages and the economy was largely formal. We need a new plan that examines today’s problems and offers relevant solutions.
“Zimbabwe has sufficient capable planners. Why are we not following our planning laws and sound town planning that says we must periodically review our plans? No plans should be used without amendment for more than 10 years. It is those periodically reviewed plans that must tell us what to demolish. So let’s plan and enforce current plans,” he said.
Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said every business operating should be legally registered, pay taxes and operate within the confines of the law.
“Local authorities have been at the forefront perpetuating corruption, and they must be made to do things in a more transparent and accountable manner. The people’s livelihood options must be broadened, and they need to be given more capacity to run their businesses,” he said.
“In fact, there are individuals in councils, including councillors and management who will do everything in their power to thwart any attempts to regularise these structures. The magnitude of the corruption is beyond redemption, and this must end.”
Mr Shumba said the informal sector remained disorganised as they were rogue councils and Government officials who are currently benefiting from the chaotic situation will not benefit if order is restored.
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