Allegations of corruption have emerged in Harare’s housing department after 31 residential stands were sold on a protected wetland in Marlborough, sparking outrage among residents and environmental advocates.
The stands, located at the corner of Taormina Avenue and Newstead Road near the Marlborough sewer ponds, are on a gazetted wetland where construction has already begun despite the absence of required permits or an environmental impact assessment.
Speaking after a situational meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Wetlands Trust, Ward 41 Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe said she had raised concerns when the matter first came before council, noting that the area is a gazetted wetland and close to sewer ponds. She said plans for a feasibility study by the Town Planning and Housing Departments never materialised, and she was shocked to learn that beneficiaries had already paid for the stands.
“This is in contravention of the Urban Councils Act and the Regional Town and Country Planning Act,” Kadzombe said. “It’s shocking that the law makers have become the law breakers.”
She called for a meeting where the departments could explain how the allocations were made without permits or an environmental impact assessment, especially as Zimbabwe currently holds the presidency of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands.
A representative from the District Office confirmed that beneficiaries had been given offer letters, but there were no development permits and no environmental impact assessment was conducted prior to the allocations.
An official from the City of Harare who spoke on condition of anonymity said the Environmental Department was not consulted over the stand allocations. “This is an act of corruption and no consultation was done before the stands allocation. We only became aware of it after residents raised concern,” the official said.
The Marlborough Environmental Action Group (MEAG) has demanded stern measures against the corrupt allocations. The group said residents were not consulted during the entire process, and it is querying whether an environmental impact assessment was issued by the Environmental Management Agency.
“With Zimbabwe holding the Presidency of the Ramsar Convention, we should be championing the conservation of wetland ecosystems and not the degradation of these fragile ecosystems. This development is happening next to the Gwebi River and this will impact water supply for Harare,” MEAG said in a statement.
In June this year, the City of Harare warned residents about land barons who were criminally selling council land in Marlborough using fake documents. The city urged the public to approach district offices and the Housing Department for clarification before losing money to these criminals.
City of Harare’s Housing Director, Addmore Nhekairo, is reportedly at the centre of the controversy. When reached for comment, Nhekairo promised to call back but had not done so by the time of publication.
