HARARE – A controversy is unfolding at the City of Harare as the municipality considers a proposal to sell a portion of a public road in the upscale suburb of Highlands to an undisclosed entity or individual. The move has drawn sharp criticism and sparked allegations of corruption and land theft by powerful figures.
The City of Harare issued a public notice inviting residents and stakeholders to submit their objections to the proposed sale within a month. The notice, released by the municipality’s division of the department of urban planning, traffic and transportation, states: “Permanent road closure of a portion of Otto Road, Highlands, Harare.”
It further explains that “The road is not yet developed and the applicant intends to purchase the closed portion after all council processes are done. Once the procedure is finalised, this portion of Otto Road ceases to be operational.”
However, the lack of transparency surrounding the identity of the prospective buyer has fuelled suspicion and raised concerns about potential impropriety.
Harare mayor Jacob Mafume said he was unaware of the matter, and promised to make a follow-up.
Observers have questioned the unsolicited nature of the bid to acquire a public road in the capital, highlighting the secrecy surrounding the individual or entity behind the proposal.
According to Section 62 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act of 2013, the City of Harare has a legal obligation to provide full information in the public interest.
Harare Residents Trust coordinator Precious Shumba expressed strong concerns about the proposed deal. “Whoever is keen on this development is someone very powerful or a wealthy public official who has used their position to override the law and town planning regulations,” Shumba told The Standard.
Shumba emphasised the importance of transparency in such matters. “The name of the person should be made public in the public interest. The road is a public good,” he said. “The withholding of this information shows that the person is either a member of the presidium or cabinet, or someone higher up in the security establishment.”
Shumba further suggested that corruption was a significant factor in the proposed sale. “When a road has been established, it is only through corruption by council officials that we have to face such a situation where a whole road is sold in the name of creating infills,” he said. “Access to people’s properties is very critical, and should not be blocked by corruption being normalised.”
The controversy comes against a backdrop of previous scandals involving land allocation and governance within the City of Harare.
A Commission of Inquiry into the governance of the city previously exposed widespread looting through land grabs, with laid down land allocation procedures being bypassed. The commission revealed that council management and councillors were spearheading the invasion of land by either proxies or well-known land barons, then selling the illegal subdivisions and pushing for regularisation.
It has been widely reported that many of these land barons have links to Zanu PF.
In July of this year, Parliament heard that land barons had invaded more than 144 sites in the capital, prompting the city to seek legal recourse through the courts.
Harare has witnessed a proliferation of buildings being constructed on wetlands and other unsuitable locations, including roadsides, raising concerns about urban planning and environmental protection.
The public notice issued by the City of Harare states that “Any person who objects to the proposed closure must lodge his or her objections, name and his or her address of objections with the City of Harare within a month after the insertion of this notice.”
The outcome of this process will be closely watched by residents and stakeholders, who are demanding greater transparency and accountability in the management of the city’s resources.
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