An official said there's a lot of confusion and disorganization regarding approving permits for building service stations and cluster houses in Harare. Councillor Takudzwa Dzumbunu shared this surprising news on Tuesday when she spoke to the Commission of Inquiry into the Governance of Harare City Council since 2017.
In May, President Mnangagwa put together a team of five people, with retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda in charge, to look into how the Harare City Council has been running things.
When Councillor Dzumbunu answered questions, she said that cluster houses are popping up everywhere, sometimes in areas that don't have the right setup to handle them. She said the problem is worsening because the Harare City Council hasn't devised a clear plan for cluster housing yet.
"Right now, we don't have any rules about cluster houses, and we're still working on figuring that out," she said.
The council is also worried that the sewage system and other utilities were made for a smaller number of people and haven't been updated to handle cluster houses, where a bunch of homes might be on a spot that used to have just one house.
"We had a meeting about the cluster houses policy because we wanted to make a plan that takes care of all the things you mentioned, and we're concerned about the infrastructure and our sewage system, too," Councillor Dzumbunu said.
She said that because the cluster houses policy takes a long time to finalize, officials sometimes rush to give out permits. Another issue is that the council can't hold onto someone's application for more than three months without making a choice.
Mr. Thabani Mpofu, who is in charge of getting information from people talking to the commission, said that the Harare City Council keeps giving permits for cluster houses even though it seems risky for the people living there. They're doing it without having a clear policy.
"The truth is, right now, those cluster houses are being built like crazy, faster than ever in Harare's history," he said.
Councillor Dzumbunu admitted that officials are breaking the rules by letting property owners use their land for service stations too close to houses and apartments. There were many service stations in some places she checked out, and some were too close to where people lived.
It also emerged that some property owners are asking to change what their land is used for, which is why so many service stations are popping up.
Councillor Dzumbunu said that according to the law, a person is allowed to ask to change how they use their land, and based on the Regional Town Planning Act, the authorities can't stop them from doing that.
"Most property owners want to get into this business, probably because fuel is only sold in US dollars," she said.
In Harare, there's been a big jump in service stations; some don't even have approval. They're being built in the middle of residential areas or close by, which is a serious safety concern for the public since diesel, petrol, and paraffin can easily catch fire and are considered toxic liquids.
In May, President Mnangagwa put together a team of five people, with retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda in charge, to look into how the Harare City Council has been running things.
When Councillor Dzumbunu answered questions, she said that cluster houses are popping up everywhere, sometimes in areas that don't have the right setup to handle them. She said the problem is worsening because the Harare City Council hasn't devised a clear plan for cluster housing yet.
"Right now, we don't have any rules about cluster houses, and we're still working on figuring that out," she said.
The council is also worried that the sewage system and other utilities were made for a smaller number of people and haven't been updated to handle cluster houses, where a bunch of homes might be on a spot that used to have just one house.
"We had a meeting about the cluster houses policy because we wanted to make a plan that takes care of all the things you mentioned, and we're concerned about the infrastructure and our sewage system, too," Councillor Dzumbunu said.
She said that because the cluster houses policy takes a long time to finalize, officials sometimes rush to give out permits. Another issue is that the council can't hold onto someone's application for more than three months without making a choice.
Mr. Thabani Mpofu, who is in charge of getting information from people talking to the commission, said that the Harare City Council keeps giving permits for cluster houses even though it seems risky for the people living there. They're doing it without having a clear policy.
"The truth is, right now, those cluster houses are being built like crazy, faster than ever in Harare's history," he said.
Councillor Dzumbunu admitted that officials are breaking the rules by letting property owners use their land for service stations too close to houses and apartments. There were many service stations in some places she checked out, and some were too close to where people lived.
It also emerged that some property owners are asking to change what their land is used for, which is why so many service stations are popping up.
Councillor Dzumbunu said that according to the law, a person is allowed to ask to change how they use their land, and based on the Regional Town Planning Act, the authorities can't stop them from doing that.
"Most property owners want to get into this business, probably because fuel is only sold in US dollars," she said.
In Harare, there's been a big jump in service stations; some don't even have approval. They're being built in the middle of residential areas or close by, which is a serious safety concern for the public since diesel, petrol, and paraffin can easily catch fire and are considered toxic liquids.
