The multi-million-dollar hotel project near the National Sports Stadium is in limbo after the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) ruled that all developments on wetlands must stop forthwith.
The ruling by EMA is likely to raise a lot of ire from the tourism industry players and politicians, and could land the local authority in a mess after okaying several million-dollar projects on wetlands in and around Harare.
But, council spokesperson Leslie Gwindi told NewsDay yesterday: We just have to look at the judgment and see the way forward. I havent seen the judgment.
The hotel project recently raised intense debate in a full council meeting with the councillor for Belvedere, Paula Macharangwanda, arguing she was not aware of the multi-million-dollar project yet she was the representative of the area.
The ruling could sound the death knell for the project reportedly undertaken by the Chinese near the National Sports Stadium.
In the ruling handed in Harare last week after a hearing by EMA on Harare City Council, the environmental agency ordered the city to stop all projects running on wetlands, including the hotel project.
During the hearing, EMA found the municipality guilty of approving projects on wetlands in Bluff Hill, National Sports Stadium (Belvedere) and other sites including commercial and residential areas. EMA also ordered the city to
