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Municipal Reporter
Caledonia residents who were duped of millions of dollars by land barons will have to pay more for the residential stands after Government handed over the farm to the City of Harare for administration.
The farm has 23 000 residential stands.
The city now wants residents to pay for stands so it can regularise structures built on the farm as well as demolish others built on land designated for communal purposes like churches or schools.
The residents are also expected to pay rates to Harare City Council so it can provide basic services like roads.
Government recently set up a committee to investigate illegal land sales in Caledonia amid reports that land barons had swindled at least 30 000 home seekers of more $57 million in deposits and monthly instalments.
Land barons allegedly parcelled out State land before making home seekers pay deposits and monthly instalments while there was no proper development in the area. There are no roads, water and sewer infrastructure in Caledonia.
Recent minutes of Harare’s Education, Health, Housing and Community Services and Licensing Committee, show that councillors questioned how council would benefit from Caledonia Farm since all stands had already been occupied and there was no infrastructure in place.
The councillors also said houses erected there did not meet building standards.
“The corporate services and housing director (Mrs Josephine Ncube) advised that current occupants would pay for the stands. In addition, council will regularise structures which meet the required building standards, while a model building plan would be offered for sale to the occupants to ensure that the buildings meet council standards,” read part of the minutes.
“She further reported that the occupants would pay for the structures as well as rates to council and council was working with central Government (States Land Office) to resolve the matter and that occupants found to have built on land reserved for other uses would be relocated.”
Turning to other developments, Mrs Ncube said the city was working on upgrading the Africa Unity Square, redesigning and upgrading Town House Gardens and rehabilitating and upgrading Harare Gardens, Hillside Park, Cleveland Dam Recreational Park and Glen Norah Park.
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