Online Reporter
Takunda Gambiza
Herald Reporter
THE Government has issued a “zero tolerance” warning against illegal settlements and developments in Harare’s wetlands, vowing to take action against land barons as authorities move to protect critical ecosystems.
The declaration was made yesterday during a belated World Wetlands Day 2026 commemoration at the Cleveland Dam Ramsar site.
Officials said that continued encroachment is exacerbating flooding, displacing families and threatening the capital’s water security.
In a speech read on his behalf, Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province, Senator Charles Tawengwa, said wetlands in the province remain under severe pressure from housing developments, agriculture, and sand mining.
“The invasion and occupation of wetlands in Harare Metropolitan province by land barons will not be tolerated. Wetlands must not be disturbed, degraded or converted for illegal settlements,” said Senator Tawengwa.
He linked recent flooding and property losses in areas like Epworth directly to environmental mismanagement and building on protected land. “Protecting wetlands is not an abstract environmental ideal. It is a matter of public service, infrastructure protection and sustainable livelihoods,” he said.
“When wetlands are destroyed communities suffer, infrastructure fails and livelihoods are placed at risk.”
Permanent Secretary for Harare Metropolitan Province, Mr Cosmas Chiringa, said wetlands are crucial for natural water purification and climate resilience.
“We must make sure that in our master plans we don’t erect buildings in the wetlands because we need them for water.
Wetlands have a very big responsibility to clean the water that we drink,” said Mr. Chiringa.
