More than 16,500 houses in Epworth are set to be demolished after being found built on land earmarked for critical public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, clinics, and industrial zones—a staggering example of how deep-rooted land invasions have crippled urban planning in Harare’s peripheries.
The revelation emerged during a workshop this week where local authorities in the Harare Metropolitan Province presented draft master plans to the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Charles Tavengwa.
The discussions painted a grim picture of widespread illegal settlements, many of which are the handiwork of notorious land barons.
Epworth Local Board spatial planner, Pardon Chibuwe, said a total of 16,500 people have illegally occupied land designated for public services, creating what planners call “land use conflict zones.”
“These include sites meant for schools, hospitals, clinics, and industrial development,” said Chibuwe.
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“The land was illegally sold by self-styled developers. The challenge now is relocation, how do we move these people without worsening the crisis?”
To mitigate the looming humanitarian fallout, the Epworth Local Board plans to regularise and resettle the affected residents through densification, a strategy that involves building upward (high-rises) and subdividing existing stands.
According to the Herald, Epworth has 2,500 oversized stands, averaging 3,000 square metres each, earmarked for this process.
Yet, even with this plan in motion, Epworth has run out of land for basic amenities — no more room for cemeteries, churches, industries, or schools.
Across the metro, Harare faces a similar disaster.
Over 200 houses have been built on the route of the future Harare Drive, and illegal settlements now outnumber legal homes in the city, with more than 100,000 houses sitting on undesignated land, according to Mayor Jacob Mafume.
“We’ve reached a tipping point,” Mafume said.
“Children are walking 8km to school. There are no clinics. Some houses flood during rains. We have to act.”
The city plans to demolish 5,000 illegal houses soon—a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of unplanned settlements threatening Harare’s future.
The mayor said vertical expansion through high-rise developments will be crucial for survival.
Chitungwiza’s director of works, Talent Mushinga, echoed the alarm, pointing to the town’s failure to grow beyond its residential identity.
“We’ve become an economic catchment for Harare — not a centre of industry,” he said, blaming land barons and poor infrastructure planning.
Minister Tavengwa noted that Chitungwiza, Epworth, and Ruwa had submitted their draft master plans, while Harare’s plan remains incomplete due to funding delays
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