Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, disclosed that over 100,000 illegally constructed houses in the city are not contributing to municipal rates.
In response to a comment on X (formerly Twitter) about the City of Harare’s plan to demolish 5,000 illegal houses, Mafume clarified that the true number of such houses was much larger. He explained that these homes were built on land originally designated for essential services like schools, clinics, and recreational areas.
Mafume further stated that the city had paused the demolitions due to the election period and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit. He highlighted the negative impact of the illegal settlements, noting that children were forced to travel long distances for school, clinics were nonexistent, and flooding was becoming a major issue. He emphasized that these problems must be addressed.
Mafume also pointed out that the number of illegal settlements is growing rapidly and could soon surpass the number of legal, rate-paying homes in Harare. He stated that the 322,000 households currently paying rates are effectively covering the costs for everyone.
Additionally, Mafume accused ZANU PF land barons of being involved in the illegal land parceling activities in the city, claiming that these individuals build without proper authorization or consideration for urban planning.
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