Harare Demolitions Leave Families Devastated After Years of Building Homes

At approximately 5 AM on Friday, August 14, Methro Masunga, 28, was abruptly awakened by the sounds of bulldozers and shouting municipal police officers in St Martins Extension, a suburb of Harare. Initially mistaking the machinery for roadworks, Masunga soon realized her home was slated for demolition. "I thought they were here for some other business, probably land development or road grading; alas, they had been sent to destroy our homes. We tried to understand, but no one would hear us," Masunga recounted to Al Jazeera. A single mother of three, Masunga had dedicated years to saving for her home, working part-time cleaning houses. "I worked part-time jobs doing laundry and washing dishes in people’s houses for five years, saving where possible. So, when I came here, I paid the deposit and started monthly contributions," she explained, standing amidst the ruins of her house.

Masunga began her payments for the residential stand in 2015, receiving an allocation in 2019. She stated that the arrangement was formalized with the city council in 2020, with residents receiving official documents. This situation highlights a broader land allocation dispute in Harare, where residents claim to have purchased stands through council-linked processes and invested their savings in construction, while the municipality asserts it is enforcing planning regulations against unapproved structures or developments on undesignated land.

The total number of individuals displaced by demolitions across Harare in 2026 remains unconfirmed. However, Al Jazeera has reviewed city council records indicating over 5,000 houses are under threat of demolition, based on 37 outstanding High Court orders. These figures pertain to properties targeted under a broader program, not those already demolished. A separate council task force has inspected 22,255 sites to identify structures on prohibited or unauthorized land.

Authorities maintain that the demolitions are aimed at addressing illegal construction, disputed land sales, and development on sites reserved for public infrastructure. Conversely, residents argue that the enforcement has also impacted those who obtained allocation letters and sales agreements through municipal channels. Memory Chengeta, whose home in St Martins was also demolished, expressed bewilderment due to a prior court order. "There was a court order for them to stop demolitions. The municipal authorities came with no court order that overturned the previous judgement, but went ahead to destroy the properties," she stated. Chengeta, a former street food vendor who had saved for a more stable life, is now homeless. Some affected residents have returned to renting, while others, like Chengeta and Masunga, have erected makeshift shelters in St Martins.

Joachim Nhete also lost his home, built using his retirement package, estimating his investment at over $10,000. The legal basis for these demolitions is contested. On October 29, 2025, Justice Happias Zhou issued a consent order (case HCH5444/25) that set aside demolition notices for named applicants in St Martins Extension and prohibited the City of Harare from evicting or demolishing their homes without a valid court order. The order also restricted further development without council approval. It remains unclear if Masunga, Chengeta, or their properties were covered by this specific order. The council insists it did not demolish properties protected by the order. Council spokesperson Stanley Gama informed local media that the municipality was targeting structures built illegally, whose owners had received multiple warnings. "We are only demolishing structures built illegally whose owners were told and warned many times not to proceed with construction," Gama said.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume stated on August 15 that residents with approved building plans should present them during inspections, adding that the municipality had repeatedly warned residents to obtain necessary documents, but declined to comment on the specific legality of the St Martins demolitions. Harare’s principal housing director, Edgar Dzehonye, later indicated that residents had been warned against building in the area due to a lack of adequate servicing. These explanations raise questions about whether residents with council allocation letters and sales agreements also possessed valid planning and building approvals, as an allocation to occupy a stand does not automatically confirm authorized construction. The validity of residents' documents, the approved layout, and individual building permits are crucial in determining the justification for the demolitions.

Precious Shumba, director of the Harare Residents’ Trust, found the demolitions particularly concerning given the court order protecting residents allocated stands by the municipality. "Despite that, the town planning department and legal officers in the Chamber Secretary’s Department issued directives to the Municipal Police to demolish the houses of St Martins Extension residents," he noted. Zimbabwe's Constitution, Section 74, prohibits evictions or demolitions without a court order considering all circumstances. The National Human Settlements Policy also mandates the provision of alternative accommodation before relocations and demolitions, a step residents claim was not taken.

The controversy reflects persistent issues in Harare’s land administration, as identified by a 2019 commission of inquiry led by Justice Tendai Uchena. The commission highlighted unauthorized land sales, weak administration, and poor record-keeping by local authorities, suggesting potential collusion between land barons and council officials. Shumba mentioned that the Harare Residents’ Trust had written to the president on July 22, 2026, requesting the publication of the commission's report on Harare's financial affairs and urging the implementation of findings from the Justice Maphios Cheda commission on the city's governance crisis.

David Jenje, chairman of the St Martins Residents Association and the St Martins Housing Happiness Pay Scheme, stated that residents had paid for their stands years before receiving allocation letters. He noted that the council’s Education, Housing and Community Services Committee resolved in 2019 to expedite land allocation and servicing. "Most of the members had paid deposits of $5,000 as far back as 2018 … Allocations were made in July 2019 after completion of payment of intrinsic land value. All the allocation letters and agreements of sale were signed in February 2020. These demolitions were illegal," Jenje asserted. ZimRights, a human rights organization, has raised concerns about the rule of law and accountability in light of these demolitions. Harare South MP Trymore Kanopula called for an immediate halt to further demolitions pending an audit and investigation of land allocations, and urged the government to present findings from the commission of inquiry into state land sales to Parliament.

Parliament’s speaker referred the matter to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works. Minister Daniel Garwe stated that the government does not conduct demolitions and cannot interfere with court processes, acknowledging the Harare City Council holds approximately 5,000 demolition orders. He mentioned the government has sometimes sought to delay demolitions while pursuing solutions. For Joachim Nhete, however, these official responses offer little solace. His home is gone, and without insurance, he cannot recover his investment. "Unlike some who had home insurance, I didn’t have one," he said. "I cannot recover the loss and pain. My hope is in the courts of law that Harare City Council must be held accountable and pay us back."