Over 850 families facing removal from a Harare estate have lodged a Supreme Court appeal, temporarily suspending their eviction. The families are contesting a High Court ruling which rejected their claim to the land in Msasa Park and Chadcombe. They argue the property was donated to a Zanu PF district in 2012, a claim the landowner, Msasa Park (Pvt) Ltd, denies.
The High Court found the residents had no legal standing to claim ownership based on an alleged donation to a political party not involved in the case. The judge also stated their claim was filed too late and contained factual disputes unsuitable for a paper application. Msasa Park maintains that it only offered a single stand for a party office and had delayed evictions for years on humanitarian grounds.
With the appeal process now initiated, all eviction activities are on hold pending a new hearing. The company had previously proposed a plan to sell the stands to the occupants at a subsidized rate.
The High Court found the residents had no legal standing to claim ownership based on an alleged donation to a political party not involved in the case. The judge also stated their claim was filed too late and contained factual disputes unsuitable for a paper application. Msasa Park maintains that it only offered a single stand for a party office and had delayed evictions for years on humanitarian grounds.
With the appeal process now initiated, all eviction activities are on hold pending a new hearing. The company had previously proposed a plan to sell the stands to the occupants at a subsidized rate.
