High Court stops Chitungwiza, Harare demolitions

The High Court of Zimbabwe has issued an order stopping the demolition of illegal structures established by informal traders as their places of work in Chitungwiza and Harare.

This follows a court application by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) on behalf of the residents of the two towns.

Apparently, municipal and national police had been demolishing the structures saying they were illegal and defacing the image of the city.

The authorities came under fire for demolishing the structures without a court order as required by the law.

Critics lambasted the authorities for allegedly ruining people’s only livelihoods in the face of a huge unemployment rate in the country.

Meanwhile, the Chitungwiza Residents and Harare Residents Trusts made applied to the High Court to have the demolitions stopped.

And the court has just issued the order halting the demolitions.

“In defence of livelihood and on behalf of @chitrest2020 and Harare Residents & Alice Kuveya we have obtained a High Court order stopping local & central government from carrying out unprocedural demolitions of homes, durawalls & informal traders’ structures as the exercise is not in compliance with the law in particular section 32 of Regional Town & Country Planning Act & Section 3 of Administrative Justice Act.

“We thank our board member Rudo Bere for successfully challenging this injustice which is akin to Operation Murambatsvina,” says ZLHR.

-Zwnews