Suburban
ALLOCATION of housing and commercial stands on wetlands is the easiest way councillors and top management are making money, a Member of Parliament has said.
Suburban Reporter
Harare North MP Mr Allan Markham, a former Councillor for Ward 18 himself, told residents at a meeting in Borrowdale Brooke recently that councillors and the top brass at council were partly to blame for the disappearance of wetlands which are being demarcated for residential and commercial developments.
“The issue with wetlands, for councillors and City of Harare management, it’s the easiest way to devolve the funds for themselves,” he said.
The fact that almost everyone in Harare wants a stand for themselves has also resulted in the allocation of stands on wetlands because land for residential development has run out in the capital city.
“Everyone wants to buy a stand in Harare (yet) corner to corner Harare is about 47 kilometres long.
“The mentality of people is that we all want a stand but the problem is that there is no space left in Harare.”
He said the Borrowdale West wetland was sold by the City of Harare to pay for the dualisation of the Airport Road while 4 500 of council’s workers had been allocated stands as compensation for unpaid salaries.
Top council bosses were allocated stands on the area around Exhall Road bridge.
“We are losing our wetlands which feed (Lake Chivero).
“As a city we don’t have a big catchment so the wetlands which were areas of preserve have been encroached in every angle.”
Wetlands in Harare North are some of the worst affected with Greystone Park alone having 29 disputes concerning developments on wetlands.
“Greystone Park is a massive issue (with) 29 areas of conflict there. Ten of them we won the case, the courts ruled that within 30 days the Government must give us all information we wanted.
“They didn’t, we held them in contempt of court and they were fined $2000 local currency. I am talking to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (over the matter).
“It’s all stolen council land, there is no two ways about it but again the list read like who is who when you start seeing the name,” said Mr Markham.
The biggest loss of wetlands has been in Harare but other cities and towns have also had wetlands destroyed through developments and borehole drilling.
The meeting heard that lack of planning was also another major headache for the mushrooming of illegal settlements and encroachment of wetlands.
Harare’s last Masterplan was done in 1972 and council has been deferring the process because while it is a requirement that planning should be done regularly, council ends up sacrificing planning saying it has to prioritise service delivery and workers’ salaries.
“Local planning is needed but it’s expensive, we don’t have a Masterplan (in Harare).
“The last Masterplan is a 1972. one”
