Court to rule on demolitions today

By Yeukai Karengezeka

A Chitungwiza court will deliver judgment today on proposed demolition of illegally built structures in the town. Magistrate Mr Takunda Mutetwa on Friday postponed the judgment announcement to today. In a notice published in February this year, Chitungwiza Municipality advised residents that it intends to demolish more than 100 houses built on undesignated sites.

The targeted houses are said to be located on land reserved for churches, schools, cemeteries, drainage systems, electricity pylons and water pipes.

The structures are in Seke, Riverside, Nyatsime, Zengeza and St Mary’s.

Affected residents, who were represented by Mr Marufu Mundevere, made an appeal and were granted an interdict on February 8.

According to Chitungwiza Municipality’s acting town clerk Mrs Charity Maunga, the local authority had duly notified the occupants of the illegal structures of the planned demolitions last year, but they failed to heed the call.

“Whereas Section 18 (2) and (3) of the Urban Council’s model (Use and occupation of land and buildings by-laws of 1979) provides that if at any time council is satisfied that there are persons using or occupying or erecting structures or otherwise by virtue of a lease or permission of council land, which is vested in or controlled by council, council may serve notice on such users or occupants to vacate the land on not less than 48 hours, failing which steps will be taken to evict them summarily,” read the notice.

Last year, about 10 000 houses in Chitungwiza that were constructed on undesignated sites were spared after house owners struck a deal to pay $1 500 penalty fees to the municipality.

About 1 500 stand owners in areas such as Nyatsime with offer letters from council have failed to occupy their stands after some land barons took over the land and parcelled it out to desperate home- seekers.

Chitungwiza has more than 15 000 houses that need to be regularised. The Herald