Harare City Council has given people in certain informal housing areas just 14 days to sort out their paperwork or face demolition. Acting Town Clerk Warren Sean Chiwawa issued the notice, with the council set to take action once the grace period expires.
The order targets homes and housing groups on municipal, government, or privately held plots. It applies to those who occupied land before the council's cutoff and later got partial clearance to stay. Even groups that escaped past demolitions must finish the legal steps they left undone.
First up, affected residents need to head to their local district offices. Any unpaid fines for building or settling on land without consent must be cleared. The council also wants the full assessed land value paid and house plans sent in for review.
And there is more on the bill. Illegal roads, water pipes, sewer systems, and service hookups carry separate fines. Any work still left on basic services must be finished as well.
Once a property meets the rules, the city will set up a rates account under its holder's name. But missing the cutoff could lead to action by city staff, with no fresh warning sent out.
Some buildings have no path to approval at all. Homes on land with high ecological value, or plots set aside for public use, remain at risk. Any new build without a permit must stop, and the city may tear it down.
Chiwawa also made the city's stance clear on special treatment. A person's rank, party ties, or wealth will not grant a pass. The same rules apply across the board, at least per the official notice.
Here is another catch for affected property holders. If crews knock down a building, the person linked to it must pay for the work. That bill also covers hauling away debris, cleaning the plot, and fixing the site.
Anyone who needs more details can ask the urban planning director at Cleveland House. The housing director's main office in Mbare is another place to seek help.
The city says the goal is to bring these homes into line with its plans and help residents keep their property investments. For those caught by the order, getting the required approvals is the main way to avoid losing a structure.
The order targets homes and housing groups on municipal, government, or privately held plots. It applies to those who occupied land before the council's cutoff and later got partial clearance to stay. Even groups that escaped past demolitions must finish the legal steps they left undone.
First up, affected residents need to head to their local district offices. Any unpaid fines for building or settling on land without consent must be cleared. The council also wants the full assessed land value paid and house plans sent in for review.
And there is more on the bill. Illegal roads, water pipes, sewer systems, and service hookups carry separate fines. Any work still left on basic services must be finished as well.
Once a property meets the rules, the city will set up a rates account under its holder's name. But missing the cutoff could lead to action by city staff, with no fresh warning sent out.
Some buildings have no path to approval at all. Homes on land with high ecological value, or plots set aside for public use, remain at risk. Any new build without a permit must stop, and the city may tear it down.
Chiwawa also made the city's stance clear on special treatment. A person's rank, party ties, or wealth will not grant a pass. The same rules apply across the board, at least per the official notice.
Here is another catch for affected property holders. If crews knock down a building, the person linked to it must pay for the work. That bill also covers hauling away debris, cleaning the plot, and fixing the site.
Anyone who needs more details can ask the urban planning director at Cleveland House. The housing director's main office in Mbare is another place to seek help.
The city says the goal is to bring these homes into line with its plans and help residents keep their property investments. For those caught by the order, getting the required approvals is the main way to avoid losing a structure.
