THOUSANDS of people illegally allocated residential stands at Caledonia Farm on the outskirts of Harare face eviction after it emerged that some of them were given stands on waterways and land set aside for social utilities.
The ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing is understood to have issued the eviction directive recently.
Transport and Infrastructural Development deputy minister Petronella Kagonye, who had two meetings with Caledonia residents together with officials from the ministries of Local Government and Small to Medium Scale Enterprises, confirmed the development yesterday.
Kagonye, who is also the legislator for Goromonzi South, told NewsDay they have established that some people were allocated residential stands irregularly.
“We had a meeting yesterday (Saturday) and resolved to get the statistics of people whose stands are located on waterways, areas meant for clinics and other social services,” she said. “Some of the people got their stands illegally while others got theirs through the District Administrator’s office with no proper planning.”
The development comes in the wake of a directive from the Ministry of Local Government to demolish more than 8 000 residential stands illegally allocated to home seekers in Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural District Council.
Although affected residents in Caledonia have been given up to January 24 to vacate the illegal stands, Kagonye said they were going to have another meeting with them next Saturday to get the actual number of affected residents and map a way forward.
NewsDay understands that over 500 families were affected as they were allocated residential stands on land set aside for the construction of primary and secondary schools.
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Most of the affected people in Caledonia were members of the Rekai Tangwena Housing Co-operative.
A councillor in the area said he had been asked to ensure that the affected people vacated the area or risk demolitions.
He confirmed the meeting held on Saturday and added that there were indications the affected residents would be relocated elsewhere.
“It is true that some people who got stands here have been asked to leave. We had a meeting yesterday with the MP (Kagonye) and the DA (District Administrator) and we resolved that the people should leave. Others, however, will not be affected by the directive,” he said.
“We are meeting with Minister Chombo tomorrow (today) to present our report on the way forward. We have recommended that the affected people should be allocated stands elsewhere. MP Kagonye said things should be done properly,” the councillor said.
The recent land audit carried out in Chitungwiza established that some of the stands were created on spaces reserved for clinics, churches, schools, cemeteries, recreational activities and roads, while others were created under high voltage electricity pylons in contravention of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act.
The audit team recommended the arrest and prosecution of land barons who are mainly housing co-operatives, councillors and village heads after it emerged that they looted and illegally sold 23 074 stands that did not belong to them, pocketing more than $20 million.
