Families threatened with demolitions
MORE than 300 families yesterday abandoned their fields and work places after City of Harare threatened to demolish Hanna Cooperative houses to pave way for a proposed stadium in Budiriro.
City of Harare council described the families as invaders who have already been pushed off the land before but returned and rebuilt while the co-operative argues that the council approved their applications in 2016.
The Government, which will not interfere with court judgements, has advised local authorities to suspend demolitions until after the rain season.
Hanna Cooperative chairperson Fortune Nyika appealed to Government to continue investigating City Council officials he said are proposing a stadium as a way to remove them and resell the stands to new applicants.
“We have all the documents approved by the city fathers in 2016 and they cannot demolish our houses to pave way for a proposal of a stadium made last year in February,” said Nyika.
“City of Harare is on record for failing to maintain existing stadiums under their jurisdiction; how will they construct another stadium close to Gwanzura Stadium that has deteriorated?
“They want to remove 2016 housing beneficiaries in the name of a 2019 stadium proposal to create space for new home seekers not what they want Government to believe.
“We have been engaging lawyers to represent us but they are all turning their backs whenever they are assured of getting residential stands by the corrupt City of Harare officials.
“If they have legal powers to demolish our houses they approved some years ago do they not have the same powers to reverse the approved documents which passed through their offices and that of Environmental Management Agency which paved us the way to settle here.
“We are appealing to Government to protect us from these unscrupulous and corrupt officials who want to fatten their stomachs by robbing desperate home seekers.
“We abandoned our work places following reports that they were on way to demolish our houses in the rainy season and dampening our Christmas spirit.
“They have to develop human incarnation and spirit of patriotism not treating us like animals because of their failure to exercise their mandate of providing descent accommodation and clearing housing list back log,” said Nyika.
Women and children expressed sorrow faces clinging to their housing structures anticipating to spend Christmas holiday exposed to wet weather and homeless when they spotted City of Harare bulldozers approaching their place of residents.