HARARE — The City of Harare has given a group of residents and housing associations until 9 November to complete outstanding steps under its regularisation programme or face demolition, warning that owners who fail to comply will also be billed for the cost of clearing and restoring their sites.
The 14-day notice, issued on 26 October by Acting Town Clerk Warren Sean Chiwawa, applies to people and organisations that occupied council, State or private land before the 23 September 2023 cut-off and were later recommended for regularisation and issued partial certificates of compliance. It also covers beneficiaries and associations that were spared demolition while their applications were processed but have not completed the required payments, approvals or infrastructure work.
The notice is not a single deadline for every unapproved building in Harare. It sets out a final period for the specified group to fulfil regularisation conditions. Some structures, including those on wetlands and land reserved for public facilities, cannot be regularised and remain marked for demolition regardless of the deadline.
Those eligible to complete the process must go to their local district offices. They are required to pay penalties for illegal occupation and construction, settle the full intrinsic value of the land and submit architectural plans for approval. They must also pay penalties linked to unauthorised roads, water and sewer works, as well as illegal connections to existing services, and complete any outstanding infrastructure.
Chiwawa said residents who meet the requirements will have rates accounts opened in their names. Those who do not comply by 9 November will face enforcement action after the deadline, without further notice. The council says property owners will be responsible for demolition, rubble removal, site clearance and restoration costs.
“Council will act firmly, decisively and without fear or favour. No person, regardless of status, position, political affiliation or influence, is exempt from the application of the law,” the notice said.
Sites excluded from regularisation
The council said structures on ecologically sensitive land, including wetlands, and on sites reserved for essential public amenities such as schools, clinics and roads cannot be regularised. Any building work under way without council approval is also to be stopped, with the unauthorised structure demolished.
The distinction matters for residents trying to understand whether payment and submission of plans can protect a property. The notice sets out steps for people whose settlements have already been recommended for regularisation; it does not offer that route to construction on protected land or places set aside for public use.
The affected neighbourhoods named in the notice include Kuwadzana, Budiriro, Glen View, Mabvuku, Belvedere West, Bluff Hill, Borrowdale and Mabelreign. The council also identifies areas along the Harare Drive expansion route. The notice concerns qualifying properties and beneficiaries in those locations, rather than treating every house in each suburb as subject to demolition.
Residents seeking clarification can contact the Director of Urban Planning Services at Office 315, 3rd Floor, Cleveland House, on the corner of Leopold Takawira Street and Speke Avenue. They can also approach the Director of Housing and Community Services at the Housing Department head office, 2 Remembrance Drive, Mbare.
The council urged owners to regularise their properties to protect their investment and help develop a properly planned city. For those who have already paid for land or construction, the short deadline leaves little time to gather records, settle outstanding costs and secure approval for plans and infrastructure.
Wider demolition programme
The ultimatum comes amid a broader City of Harare campaign against unauthorised land occupation and construction. Earlier in 2026, the council’s wider demolition programme was reported to cover more than 5,000 houses and other structures. A task force had surveyed 22,255 sites, including properties on open spaces, wetlands, vleis, road reserves and land earmarked for schools, clinics and other public facilities.
That separate programme was reported as being supported by 37 High Court orders, with proposed enforcement across areas including Greendale, Belvedere, Budiriro, Kuwadzana, Mabvuku, Glen View, Mabelreign, Tynwald, Crowborough, Chisipite, Glen Lorne, Southlea Park, Hopley, Mainway Meadows, Tafara and Hatcliffe. Other named sites included structures along Willowvale Road in Glen View 8, 45 stands in Greendale, 13 in Amby Township and about 200 properties on or near the Harare Drive expansion route, including in Retreat and Waterfalls.
The council’s wider programme has also involved action against businesses and structures operating in residential areas. In September, municipal teams moved against unauthorised commercial activity in Highlands, including a backyard panel-beating and spray-painting operation. Council officials said the activity breached rules for residential areas and posed a health risk to neighbours. About 20 vehicles and equipment were on the property during the inspection, while demolition of structures was pending.
Earlier demolitions in St Martins, Harare South and Whitecliff have also formed part of the enforcement drive. In St Martins, both temporary and permanent structures were targeted. Residents affected by earlier clearances have described the loss of homes and the disruption to family life, while the council has urged people to check land status with its housing department or district offices before buying plots or beginning construction.
The 14-day notice is therefore the latest step in a campaign that combines attempts to regularise some older settlements with demolition of structures the city says cannot be approved. For residents within the eligible group, the immediate task is to establish what remains unpaid or unapproved and take the required documents to their district office before 9 November. For properties on protected land or public amenity sites, the notice says regularisation is not available.