Staff Writer
THE Chitungwiza municipality has issued a Demolition Order targeting illegal land occupants at 33 sites under its jurisdiction.
The order comes shortly after the Zimbabwe Old People’s Association (ZOPA), Chitungwiza Residents Trust (CHITREST) and Chitungwiza Community Development Network (CCDN) recent reports that some of the municipality’s employees were working in cahoots with land syndicates to sell illegal stands on wetlands.
Across the nation, citizens have fallen prey, losing thousands of dollars to fraudulent schemes run by land barons who connive with some corrupt government officials to obtain fake land sales clearance letters.
In a media update Thursday, the Chitungwiza municipality issued an order which is likely to leave hundreds of residents and informal traders in the area stranded.
“Notice is hereby given that it has come to the attention of Council that the following areas have since been occupied and illegal structures are in the process of being put up or have been put up without council permission,” read the order.
The order is targeting 11 sites in St Mary’s, six in Zengeza, 15 in Seke and two sites in Nyatsime.
Within these sites includes Macheka Square, an area behind St Mary’s Police Station, wetland adjacent to St Mary’s Cemetery and Chaminuka main road on the way to CA police station among others.
Further reads the notice, “Therefore, take a note that in terms Section 35 of the regional Town and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29:12) 1996, you are ordered to depart the land, remove all your property from the land, demolish any structures erected and remove the rubble from the land and restore the land to its original state.”
The order comes into operation forthwith.
