HARARE residents have accused the city council of failing to tackle land barons after structures were erected behind a borehole serving over 2 000 people in Glen View.
The residents say council controversially parcelled out open spaces for residential infill stands without following due process or consulting the public.
Combined Harare Residents Association co-ordinator Given Masango told NewsDay that council officials have been evasive in responding to their complaints.
“This is a serious matter requiring urgent attention from Harare City Council, especially in ward 31, Glen View, where structures were built on an open space containing a borehole serving more than 2 000 people amid the current water crisis,” Masango said.
He added that repeated attempts to reach the acting town clerk, Phakamile Mabhena and the acting city planner, Samuel Nyabeza, were unsuccessful.
Masango also approached ward 31 councillor Joshua Pedzisai, who distanced himself from the controversy.
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“We approached our councillor, who has since blamed the previous council over the erection of structures disturbing a borehole that benefits our community,” he said.
In an interview with NewsDay, Pedzisai defended the structures, saying they were legally allocated.
“These are not illegal structures; they were allocated by council in 2017, with provisional allocations in 2017 and 2018. Offer letters were given in 2025. These were decisions by former councillors and I cannot overturn them,” he said, adding that he raised the matter with mayor Jacob Mafume.
He acknowledged residents’ concerns about the borehole but said: “These presidential boreholes were erected after the housing stands were allocated and all due process was followed.”
Mafume said council was investigating the matter.