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‘Manyenyeni must step down’

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CIVIC society groups yesterday piled pressure on Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni, calling on him to step down for allegedly failing to defend the residents and provide alternative accommodation to families who were left homeless following demolition of their houses in Budiriro 4 last week.

CIVIC society groups yesterday piled pressure on Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni, calling on him to step down for allegedly failing to defend the residents and provide alternative accommodation to families who were left homeless following demolition of their houses in Budiriro 4 last week.

BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA

In a statement signed by several organisations and residents’ associations, the civic society groups said Manyenyeni should step down if he cannot use his office to defend the rights of the residents.

Last Friday, Manyenyeni met with the affected families in a bid to resolve the impasse, but the meeting ended in a deadlock.

BERNARD-MANYENYENI-was-sworn-in-as-Harare-Mayor-at-the-Town-House-yesterday

Part of the statement read: “Consider stepping down from Town House if he (Manyenyeni) cannot use his office and constitutional duties to defend the rights of the citizens. Residents are fast losing confidence in his ability to discharge his duties.”

The organisations, calling themselves Anti-Demolitions Coalition, said the mayor should also release the names of the municipal officers involved in authorising the demolitions without a court order.

Some of the residents yesterday said if Manyenyeni could not assist them in finding alternative shelter, he should give them $5 000 each so that they can get themselves alternative housing in other cities and towns as they seemed unwelcome in Harare.

“We do not know how we are going to survive here. The rains are already coming and we do not have roofs over our heads when we had invested so much in building and acquiring these stands. If Manyenyeni cannot help us, he should just give us $5 000 each which we can use to get land for ourselves in Gutu, Rusape or anywhere else since we do not seem welcome here,” said Dominic Shuche, an affected resident.

Shereni Mapope, a father of four who is staying in a makeshift shack with his family including his 16-year-old daughter, said they were now waiting for the mayor’s response.

Contacted for comment, Manyenyeni simply said: “We are hearing what they are saying, but all I can say is that we will continue monitoring the situation to balance the need for provision of shelter for the affected residents and to correct the issue of illegal structures which is more immediate.”

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights last week filed an urgent chamber application challenging the constitutionality of the demolitions. The lawyers are also seeking to have Manyenyeni charged with contempt of court for allegedly disregarding an order issued in August barring the demolitions. The matter will be heard on October 7.