Owners of Goan Sports Club in Belvedere are up in arms with Harare City Council after armed municipal police last week demolished an apartment at the club, amid reports it was erected on council land.
When NewsDay visited Goan Sports Club yesterday, the three affected families were milling around pondering their next move and said they had been reduced to destitutes.
“They just came here and started destroying the building. We tried, but failed to plead with them to stop. I have stayed here for 11 years,” said a female victim.
But, the councillors defended municipal police action saying the demolition was procedural as all processes had been followed.
Already, a house said to be owned by Mbare councillor Friday Muleya is at roof level.
Housing and community services committee chairperson Charles Nyatsuro, who was at the sports club, said the demolition was orderly as occupants had been notified.
“All this is council land and the owners of the club had encroached onto other stands. These people were served with papers and they ignored and council took a position.
“The due process was taken and the land will be used to build houses for councillors and council officials,” Nyatsuro said.
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He confirmed all plans were in place for the construction of the houses.
Nyatsuro said the land would be used to build houses for councillors and council officials.
However, one of the sports club owners, Tony Rodriques, said: “We have a document that shows the original perimeters of the club given to the community by the powers-that-be during the pre-independence era.”
Goan Sports Club is one of the three clubs allocated to the Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities during the pre-independence era.
However, the Harare Residents’ Trust condemned the destruction of the building saying it was a sign of council’s insensitivity.
