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Bogus housing cooperatives working with some corrupt Harare City Council officials have duped residents in Harare, resulting in the demolition of 200 illegal structures along High Glen and Kambuzuma Roads on Thursday. It is a pity that residents suffered such loss after investing so much in buying the stands and building houses. However, while we do not condone the demolition, we also do not support the establishment of illegal structures. No city can tolerate impunity, especially when the land, which is State-owned, is earmarked for other ventures or is on city wetlands.
Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni was spot on when he emphasised the need to protect the city plan. Indeed the city cannot afford to tolerate illegal structures sprouting everywhere, with people failing to adhere to council regulations.
We have witnessed some people building on top of sewer and water pipes, in the process compromising the city’s infrastructure. The fact that residents who had their homes destroyed had been warned six months previously by Harare City Council and told to vacate shows that Council took necessary measures before resorting to extreme action.
As Mayor Manyenyeni said council would only destroy structures where people become reluctant to regularise. “If regularising fails we encourage the affected people to relocate themselves, failing which we undertake demolitions only as a last resort and this must be done as humanely as can be,” he said.
It is clear that there is a need for residents to work with city councils to avoid such drastic measures being taken. This helps in the event that corrupt council workers sign off illegal land to desperate home-seekers.
By following the regulations and guidelines set by council, residents and local authorities can find other alternatives that benefit both parties. The need to regularise and service land is an important one and residents cannot decide to go against the authorities whose mandate it is to regularise these areas.
Residents must also be wary of bogus land barons, housing cooperatives and city council officials who offer services without going through the proper procedures and council regulations.
It is unfortunate as Mayor Manyenyeni pointed out that the victims of the demolitions were most likely misled and fell prey to dubious housing cooperatives.
Although residents might possibly be desperate for accommodation and land they are encouraged to follow city council procedures and verify the legitimacy and credibility of housing cooperatives.
Harare City Council should also work towards regularising housing cooperatives and issuing an official list of those which people can work. It should also weed out those individuals within their ranks who are prone to corrupt practices.
The city also needs to work hard and find mechanisms that will ensure its housing waiting list is reduced. This will protect potential home owners from corrupt individuals and force them to follow the procedures that are required by council.
The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing should also ease the pressure on housing by fulfilling its mandate under Zim-Asset to provide up to 313 368 housing units by 2018.
Housing is critical and for city and town councils to eliminate the problem of illegal squatters, land needs to be serviced and plots demarcated on which people can build.
Without adequate serviced land and unenforced regulations, the law of the jungle will take over and people will settle on whatever piece of land they find.
It is therefore imperative that servicing of plots in cities and towns should be a priority for the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in 2016. Land allocated for housing should have roads, sewers and electricity.
The servicing of land for housing is also another opportunity to create jobs as it will require manpower to clear the land, develop the roads and dig pipes, among other things.
Following the servicing of land Government will be in a better position to carry out their housing scheme, Own-Your-Own-Home Contributor Scheme and provide much needed relief to ownership of houses.
Harare should also start considering building more flats that can accommodate more people on small pieces of land. The city could set aside some low cost flats they can rent out and can sell to interested people.
There is also need for an effective transport system, road and rail, that will allow people to commute to and from work from areas like Chegutu, Dema, Bhora and Marondera among others daily.
With a good timetabled transport system, people can choose to either stay in Harare or other towns. This will likely decongest the city and reduce the need to own a house in Harare.
Online Reporter