Online Reporter
Miriam Tose Majome
Correspondent
A few months ago, I wrote about communal land and how families are displaced when they have no title or protection.
The problem is worse in towns and cities. A new form of homelessness is emerging, not in the countryside, but in crowded suburbs and high-density areas.
In urban centres, evictions are a part of daily life usually at month ends. Sometimes a family is locked out without notice. Other times they are just given a few days to leave. For most tenants, life is a constant struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Rentals are rising faster than salaries, and even those who go to work are living month to month.
Landlords are under pressure too. They face high rates, water bills, repairs, and inflation. Some take matters into their own hands and evict tenants without following the law.
Others seize furniture or change locks overnight. When tenants complain, the police say it is a civil matter. The courts can take months to resolve issues and it is costly.
Zimbabwean law is clear that a landlord cannot evict a tenant without a court order. The law also forbids holding on to a tenant’s property as security for rent, unless there is a court order.
But a few tenants know their rights, and many do not have written lease agreements. Even those who do rarely have the money or courage to challenge an eviction.
The housing situation has reached a crisis. There are too few affordable rentals. Cooperative and council housing projects have been riddled with corruption and long delays.
The private market is now the only option, and it operates without oversight.
To deal with this problem, we need practical action, not just legal theory. First, every tenant should have a written lease, even for a single room. It protects both parties and makes eviction procedures clear.
The Rent Board and local authorities must be revived to resolve disputes quickly and cheaply. A small, functioning Rent Tribunal in each province could save families from homelessness.
Local councils and the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities should expand social housing and introduce incentives for landlords who provide affordable rentals.
Legal aid clinics and civic groups should educate tenants about their rights and help them respond to eviction threats before it’s too late.
Parliament should amend the law to require a simple notice and mediation process before a landlord approaches the courts, making eviction a last resort, not a first option.
Homelessness in the city is not only about people sleeping on the pavement. It is also about those living in constant fear of being told to leave tomorrow.
A home is not just a building. It is stability and dignity. Tenants deserve the same respect and protection that property owners demand.
Until that happens, many city dwellers will continue living on borrowed time, paying rent not for the security of a home but just for the chance to stay one more month.
Miriam Tose Majome is a lawyer and a Commissioner with the Zimbabwe Media Commission. She writes in her personal capacity and can be contacted on [email protected]
