The Sunday News
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government has commenced an audit to identify houses built on wetlands in all towns and cities while also identifying alternative land for the relocation of the affected residences, National Housing Minister, Daniel Garwe has said.
This comes as President Mnangagwa rebuked land barons and inept urban local authorities who allocated land and developed residential stands on wetlands, a move which saw more residential areas experiencing floods.
A national taskforce be led by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was set to spearhead the restoration of sanity in most urban settlements.
In an interview, Minister Garwe said Government had already started auditing residential land allocation in all towns and cities to establish the total number of houses that would be affected by the relocations.
“As you are aware President Mnangagwa condemned the construction of houses on wetlands which was rampant in many cities and towns. We are currently conducting an audit to establish the total number of houses that were affected as well as the magnitude of the illegal urban settlements mostly on wetlands,” he said.
Minister Garwe said Government will construct houses and flats where the affected people will be relocated albeit having to pay for new accommodation while claiming compensation from land barons.
“Government is cognisant of the fact that people who settled on wetlands were desperate homeseekers who were fleeced by land barons. So Government is going to relocate these people and construct houses for them while some will be moved into flats. Government is doing so on humanitarian grounds. However, the affected people will have to pay for the new houses,” he said.
Environmental Management Agency says it is also conducting an audit and mapping in all provinces to identify the wetlands where councils and land barons have constructed houses. The audit is expected to be completed next week.
The Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) has conceded that local authorities allocated land to land developers on wetlands which has also resulted in flooding in urban areas. UCAZ president and Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said the menace in urban areas was created by the old dispensation which wantonly allocated land to land barons while local authorities were also sanitising the illegal land allocation. Clr Makombe applauded President Mnangagwa for taking a bold step to restore sanity in urban areas.
“As UCAZ we condemn the allocation of stands and the construction of houses on wetlands. We have always advised our members not to temper with wetlands in any form. It is unfortunate that the current councillors in most urban councils inherited these issues. We are ready to partner Government in dealing with that.
The issue of houses constructed on wetlands is common in most urban areas. This chaos was caused by land barons who had political muscle. We would want central Government to bring to book these culprits,” he said.
