Land barons have illegally occupied more than 140 sites across Harare, prompting the city to turn to the courts in a bid to stop rampant and unregulated developments, parliament heard on Monday.
City officials say the capital is experiencing a surge in illegal construction, including on ecologically sensitive wetlands and along roadways, with legal challenges slowing enforcement efforts.
Admond Nhekairo, Harare’s housing director, told the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on Climate Change that land barons are increasingly using “lawfare”, the strategic use of legal proceedings to frustrate the municipality’s attempts to reclaim public land.
“There is now a tendency by some of these invaders to quickly rush to the courts with dirty hands and apply for spoliation orders,” Nhekairo said.
“We end up in court for two years while illegal developments continue. Even when the city eventually wins, we are left to take corrective action.”
Nhekairo said the 144 invaded sites reflect the scale of the issue, with land barons frequently targeting municipal land for illegal occupation and construction.
At the same hearing, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) reported that it had received 152 applications for development projects on wetlands, including Environmental Impact Assessments and requests for land-use changes.
“It’s quite a huge number,” said acting director general Christopher Mushava.
“These applications include both those from private developers and the City of Harare. The positive is that there is now better communication on what needs to be done.”
Environmentalists have long raised concerns over the degradation of Harare’s wetlands, which serve as natural water filtration and flood control systems. Authorities have faced criticism for weak enforcement of environmental laws and delayed legal processes.
