Property developer, residents in dispute over new Greendale flats

Diana Nherera Suburban Reporter

A PROPERTY developer building flats in Greendale and residents of neighbouring properties are at loggerheads over the housing project with the neighbours arguing they were not consulted before construction started while the developer insists the development is above board.

The new block of flats is going up at the corner of Latimer Road and Cleveland Road as densification takes root in Harare with several developers building cluster houses, garden flats and high rise flats at vacant stands and open spaces in low density suburbs. Some property owners are also subdividing their big stands to build cluster houses and flats.

The Latimer Road and Cleveland Road flats developer’s assertion follows complaints by some residents that they were not consulted about the housing project.

A Greendale resident argued that at a clusters housing policy meeting called by the City of Harare in August this year, residents were assured that clusters would be required to be 500 square metres a unit.

“We were assured that developers had to make improvements on road and sewage and electricity infrastructure.

“(Assurances were also given) that contractors had to communicate and consult with existing residents before commencing construction.

“None of the above has occurred.

“And we now have a tall block of flats with a boundary wall that resembles Alcatraz prison,” said the Greendale resident.

The resident said assurances were also given that Greendale will not be turned into a high density suburb.

“We were assured that Greendale’s population density would not mirror that of Sunningdale. God knows how many families will soon reside in that less than one acre stand along with their vehicles and pets etc. This is a totally a different complex to the usual cluster houses being approved on Coronation (Avenue) etc. Is Athlone now open to becoming a high rise apartment complex similar to the ones that so impressed Mayor Jacob Mafume on his inaugural trip to Guangzhou China?” queried the resident.

He said Harare’s suburbs do not have the infrastructure nor organisational strength to support such population densification.

“This kind of development is purely driven by rent-seeking at any cost without any consideration for existing or future residents.”

He said the water table in Greendale is low and keeps depleting while there are two overcrowded primary schools and no secondary schools in the suburb.

The resident told Suburban that the apartments are opposite a nursery school.

He said the nursery school was built before the new high-rise flats were built.

“So imagine all these nursery school children maybe going on walks with 100 new cars next door.

“That’s why it’s very important for the environment to be considered, meaning the water table and things like that.

“People are part of the environment,” said the resident.

Another resident who also spoke to Suburban said they were never consulted over the new flats.

“The majority of people around the area (were not consulted) to an extent that so many were complaining about the issue and some actually thinking of moving to other places,” he said.

Contacted for comment Mr Dennis Mlalazi of Ngred Traders, the property developers, said they consulted their neighbours and even got them to sign the letter of consent.

“Every procedure was followed.

“The council gives you the addresses of the neighbours to consult.

“You don’t consult the whole neighbourhood.

“I have got my neighbours who signed a letter of consent and everything.

“Those things were published in the newspaper twice before the flats were constructed.

“My neighbours who are legally supposed to sign the letter of consent were approached and they signed.

“When you make an application to council,  council are the ones that tell you that it requires a letter of consent from your neighbours on this stand and that stand.

“You approach those neighbours, you talk to them.

“They sign letter of consent.

“You publish it

“You’re given three days, no objections,” he said.