BULAWAYO City Council has announced plans to resettle residents of Ward 6 in Cowdray Park who are living on wetlands, as years of flooding, safety fears, and allegations of land corruption finally force action.
The move comes amid long-standing accusations that land barons and unscrupulous real estate agents have been selling wetland stands to unsuspecting buyers,
This left families to build homes on land never meant for human habitation.
Residents have traced the roots of land corruption to the post-Operation Murambatsvina era in 2005, when the Garikai/Hlalani Kuhle housing project created loopholes that fuelled exploitation.
Ward 15 councillor Ashton Mhlanga said some flooding blamed on wetlands may actually stem from poor infrastructure in areas originally allocated under government programmes.
“I kind of feel like sometimes residents take it the wrong way because that area allocated to the residents does not have proper infrastructure,” Mhlanga said.
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“Hence the reason why I am saying they might think that some areas are wetlands when it's only the lack of infrastructure that is causing flooding in some houses.”
Council has identified new land and will relocate affected households.
Around 18 stands will be allocated, and officials are evaluating properties to determine compensation based on how far construction has progressed.
“The process is not going to take them a month till they are done and Ward 6 residents are moved to a safer location,” Mhlanga said.
But residents' groups said the council has not been open about the project.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson Steven Nkomo called for greater transparency and faster action.
“I do not remember the council being open with us when it comes to a lot of projects,” he said.
Nkomo also flagged construction near Cowdray Park High School and urged the council to act swiftly.
“The local authority has enough land and they should move those people from wetlands because there is a lot of open land around Cowdray Park.”
The resettlement comes amid growing calls for environmental impact assessments before stands are pegged.
Experts warn that building on wetlands increases the risk of flooding and structural damage, and harms the wider environment.
Concerns over wetland allocations surfaced earlier this year.
In February, Cowdray Park residents accused the council of prioritising revenue over safety.
Mayor David Coltart said at the time that council policy bars building on wetlands, though he was not aware of the specific cases.
Back in 2021, nearly 500 houses in Bulawayo were marked for possible relocation after they were discovered to be built on wetlands.
Cowdray Park was the most affected, with 429 houses.
Other areas included Luveve Five, Newton West, Sauerstown and Nkulumane.