Obey Musiwa recently in BULAWAYO
THE Government has called on housing developers that fail to meet planning and environmental requirements to suspend operations until they meet all requirements.
The directive follows confirmation by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) that it had issued a ticket to Sambabezi Contractors, the developer of Lot 17 of Lower Rangemore in Umguza, Bulawayo, for undertaking construction works without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate.
The development has also raised concern among residents, who allege that they are being forced to make payments to the developer.
Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities and Tsholotsho South legislator Musa Ncube said the local authority and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works issue enforcement orders against non-compliant developers.
She indicated legal enforcement under Section 33 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act, as part of development control.
“Generally, the developers are advised to suspend operations until all requirements are met,” said Deputy Minister Ncube.
Deputy Minister Ncube told The Herald in April 2025 that developers at Lot 17 were engaging in unlawful conduct.
On whether developers can pass EMA costs on to buyers, the Deputy Minister said the answer lies in the contract.
“The issue of EMA depends on what is in the agreement of sale,” said Deputy Minister Ncube.
“If it states that the beneficiary contributes, that should be clear, but if it does not, then they cannot transfer the bill to the beneficiaries.”
The Deputy Minister said a meeting held on April 14, 2026, which was convened after the area’s Member of Parliament, brought together landowners, developers, Umguza Rural District Council, EMA, the Umguza District Development Coordinator, the Ministries of National Housing and Social Amenities and of Local Government and Public Works, the Department of Spatial Planning, the Umguza Council chairman and councillors.
They discussed developer compliance, service delivery, title deeds, subdivision permits, change of use and inspection of buildings.
Stakeholders agreed that proper procedures must be followed before any development takes place.
To protect themselves before committing, the Deputy Minister said, buyers should ask the developer to show that the land is registered with the Surveyor-General and covered by an approved general plan.
“They should also ask for the subdivision permit from the Department of Spatial Planning, the title survey diagram from the Surveyor-General, the development permit from the local authority, and the compliance certificate,” she said.
“That certificate is issued once the developer has met the layout plan and approved engineering designs for water, sewer, roads and electricity.”
In a written response to The Herald dated October 1, 2026, EMA said the company breached Section 97 of the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27), which requires listed projects to be implemented only under an EIA certificate.
EMA’s Environmental Education and Publicity Manager Amkela Sidange said: “The Agency can confirm that it issued a level 11 ticket to Sambabezi Constructors for implementing a listed project in the form of a housing development in Lot 17 of Lower Rangemore without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate from the Agency.”
The agency said the company was ordered to apply for an EIA certificate before proceeding.
It urged buyers to confirm before buying or building that an EIA certificate exists covering that specific subdivision or area.
Undated minutes of a residents’ committee meeting, circulated on June 24, 2026 and seen by The Herald, show that residents with structures on the land were asked to share a US$5 000 bill, made up of US$1 000 for EMA and US$4 000 for an environmental consultant, at US$20 each.
The minutes state that “EMA has fined us due to the delay from SG,” referring to the Surveyor-General’s office, and set a payment deadline of July 5, with an account to be opened for the money.
“The problem affecting us mostly is that we built structures without the subdivision permit.”
The same minutes say a subdivision permit had been granted and that a development permit was still awaited.
The minutes list Mr Steven Maxen Maphosa, Mr Tshwene Sephuma, described as the lawyer, and residents’ chairperson Mr B Sibanda among those present. They referred residents to the company’s administrator, Mr Ndanisa Sibanda, for certificates.
The company and residents gave different accounts of who bears responsibility. About 90 households have paid, which would amount to about US$1 800, residents said. They said they are paying a penalty that was issued to someone else.
