People built around 200 houses illegally on land meant for the Harare Drive road project. Two fancy mansions sit on these spots near National Heroes Acre. City officials plan to knock down all these buildings that block the future road. A recent court decision makes this harder because officials need court permission before tearing down any homes.
The road should make a big circle around Harare to help traffic flow better. Corrupt people sold land that belonged to the road project. Many folks bought these illegal spots and built homes. The Herald newspaper checked out these areas and found houses sitting right where the road should go.
Engineers created plans in 1998 showing exactly where Harare Drive should connect different parts of the city. Many houses block these paths today. Some neighborhoods respected the 60-meter space needed for the road. Other areas, like Retreat, have people building houses right across the planned route.
Homeowners feel scared and confused about what will happen next. One nervous person asked reporters if they planned to destroy his house. He claimed his property is away from the future road path. Another lady stopped building her complete house because she heard rumors about the road coming through her land.
Mr. Tawanda told reporters that people marked new house spots on empty land saved for the road. He asked the government to finish building Harare Drive quickly to end all the confusion. Church of Grace Ministries built its church on the road, but its leader denied any problems with its location.
Minister Oliver Makoni said city officials never told them about road issues. He mentioned they have proper plans and pay taxes to the city each month. They built the church nearly ten years ago. Makoni believes human lives matter more than roads.
Samuel Nyabezi from city planning confirmed many houses sit on Harare Drive land, especially around Retreat. He stated clearly those buildings must come down eventually because they block the planned road expansion. Nyabezi pointed out two large mansions near National Heroes Acre that definitely cross into road territory.
Nyabezi blamed con artists for tricking people into buildings without proper permits. He explained the city never approves houses built on road land. Mayor Jacob Mafume firmly supports destroying all illegal buildings. He said any solution must include removing houses from road-reserved land.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission keeps investigating this problem. Its leader, Michael Reza, promises to finish the report on corrupt officials soon. Everyone involved feels stuck between protecting homes and building the needed road. The future remains unclear for both Harare Drive and the families living on its planned path.
The road should make a big circle around Harare to help traffic flow better. Corrupt people sold land that belonged to the road project. Many folks bought these illegal spots and built homes. The Herald newspaper checked out these areas and found houses sitting right where the road should go.
Engineers created plans in 1998 showing exactly where Harare Drive should connect different parts of the city. Many houses block these paths today. Some neighborhoods respected the 60-meter space needed for the road. Other areas, like Retreat, have people building houses right across the planned route.
Homeowners feel scared and confused about what will happen next. One nervous person asked reporters if they planned to destroy his house. He claimed his property is away from the future road path. Another lady stopped building her complete house because she heard rumors about the road coming through her land.
Mr. Tawanda told reporters that people marked new house spots on empty land saved for the road. He asked the government to finish building Harare Drive quickly to end all the confusion. Church of Grace Ministries built its church on the road, but its leader denied any problems with its location.
Minister Oliver Makoni said city officials never told them about road issues. He mentioned they have proper plans and pay taxes to the city each month. They built the church nearly ten years ago. Makoni believes human lives matter more than roads.
Samuel Nyabezi from city planning confirmed many houses sit on Harare Drive land, especially around Retreat. He stated clearly those buildings must come down eventually because they block the planned road expansion. Nyabezi pointed out two large mansions near National Heroes Acre that definitely cross into road territory.
Nyabezi blamed con artists for tricking people into buildings without proper permits. He explained the city never approves houses built on road land. Mayor Jacob Mafume firmly supports destroying all illegal buildings. He said any solution must include removing houses from road-reserved land.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission keeps investigating this problem. Its leader, Michael Reza, promises to finish the report on corrupt officials soon. Everyone involved feels stuck between protecting homes and building the needed road. The future remains unclear for both Harare Drive and the families living on its planned path.
