Harare demolitions displace thousands as city cites legal enforcement

More than 5,000 houses in Harare, Zimbabwe, are targeted for demolition under 37 outstanding High Court orders, according to city council records. The figures represent properties facing potential destruction, not structures already razed. A separate council task force has inspected 22,255 sites to identify buildings on land designated as prohibited or unauthorised.

The enforcement effort stems from a dispute over land allocation and construction permissions. The municipality states it is removing structures built without necessary approvals or on land reserved for public infrastructure. Residents counter that they purchased stands through council-linked processes and received allocation letters and agreements of sale before building.

Methro Masunga, 28, lost her home in St Martins Extension on August 14, 2026. She described waking to the sound of bulldozers and shouting police at approximately 5 a.m. Masunga, a single mother of three, had worked part-time cleaning jobs for five years to save for the property. She began paying for the stand in 2015 and received an allocation in 2019. Official documents were issued in 2020.

Masunga stated that she paid a deposit and made monthly contributions as required. She noted that no officials explained the presence of heavy machinery before the destruction began. Memory Chengeta, another resident whose home was demolished in the same area, said the operation occurred despite a prior court order. She claimed authorities did not present a new order overturning the previous judgement.

Joachim Nhete used his retirement package to purchase land and build a house in the same suburb. He estimated his investment at more than $10,000. He has no insurance to recover the loss. Several affected residents, including Masunga and Chengeta, have remained in St Martins, constructing makeshift shelters instead of moving out.

The legal basis for the demolitions centers on a consent order issued on October 29, 2025. Justice Happias Zhou ruled in case HCH5444/25 that the City of Harare could not evict named applicants or demolish their homes without a valid court order. The order also prohibited further development without written council approval. The council maintains it did not demolish properties specifically protected by that order.

Stanley Gama, a council spokesperson, told local media that the municipality was targeting structures whose owners had received repeated warnings against illegal construction. Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume said on August 15 that residents with approved plans should produce them during inspections. He declined to comment on the legality of the specific St Martins demolitions. Principal housing director Edgar Dzehonye added that residents had been warned the area lacked adequate services.

Precious Shumba, director of the Harare Residents’ Trust, noted that the town planning department and legal officers issued directives to police to proceed with demolitions despite the court order. Section 74 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution prohibits eviction or demolition without a court order considering all relevant circumstances. The National Human Settlements Policy requires alternative accommodation to be prepared before relocations.

David Jenje, chairman of the St Martins Residents Association, stated that most members paid deposits of $5,000 as far back as 2018. He said allocation letters and agreements of sale were signed in February 2020. The council’s Education, Housing and Community Services Committee had resolved in 2019 to expedite land allocation and servicing. Jenje described the recent demolitions as illegal.

Minister Daniel Garwe of Local Government and Public Works said the government did not carry out the demolitions and could not interfere with court processes. He acknowledged the existence of approximately 5,000 demolition orders and stated the government has sometimes tried to delay the process while seeking solutions. Parliament’s speaker referred the matter to the ministry for action.