City launches inventory audit on roads servitudes, wetlands

The City of Harare on Thursday launched the Inventory Audit on Road Servitudes and Wetlands.

Officially launching the programme at Rowan Martin Building in Harare, Town Clerk, Engineer Hosiah Chisango said, the launch is in line with the Call to Action that was launched by President Mnangagwa in 2023.

He said the blue-print aims to ensure that all local authorities including Harare deliver services in sync with the aspirations of an upper middle income economy.

“Among the areas of concern identified in the Call to Action, one has particularly captured our attention: Number 7: ‘Leasing and selling of land by Local Authorities in Servitudes and Wetlands,’” said the town clerk.

Eng Chisango added that leasing land on road servitudes has contributed significantly to congestion levels in Metropolitan Provinces.

He also said: “to address these concerns by His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) the Government has mandated local authorities, to include specific clauses in lease agreements pertaining to road servitudes. These clauses are as follows:

• No permanent structure must be erected
• There shall be no option to sell or give title to a lease holder
• The Government can or may take back the land as and when required

The town clerk said in response to this mandate, the Cit0y of Harare has established a dedicated thematic group, consisting of individuals with expertise in land management and administration.

“The primary goal of the group is to address the Government’s concerns regarding the leasing of land on road servitudes and wetlands. Transparency and accountability should guide every step of the process,” he said.

During the process, the city’s comprehensive audit will involve building a database of leases on wetlands and road servitudes, identifying the activities being carried out on the land, assessing the nature of structures built on the land and identifying any activities that fall outside the lease agreements. – City of Harare