Peter Tanyanyiwa

Ward 16 residents have raised concern over the continued allocation of stands in greenways in the suburbs.

There residents say there seem to be some corruption taking place, with certain local authority officials implicated in illegal stands allocations.

The residents say this is happening in certain areas within Ward 16.

“Local government has been sending letters for proposed change of land use of these greenways into stands under the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act better known as the RTP Act. These have been sent to residents in the recent past,” said an anonymous concerned resident.

According to the RTP Act residents that object to the proposal have to be consulted and they have to agree.

However residents say as they are still being consulted by local government, people are coming in claiming to have bought stands or others coming in to survey these stands within these greenways.

The reason for consulting communities is to hear out residents views as well as reach an agreement with them.

Residents who commented said the consultation process they have seen in the recent past seem to be a smokescreen, as the residents’ input does not seem to hold water.

“It seems there will be already intent to sell these greenways before issuing these proposition letters, they are simply a formality,” said a resident who requested anonymity.

Greenways are open areas between main and tributary roads. In the Capital, many of them are being developed into residential stands despite residents objecting to this as well as how it is being done.

The Ministry of Local Government is reported to have sent proposition letters across areas with greenways in some surburbs in Ward 16. The letters indicate intention to change these greenways or open spaces into residential stands.

But many residents have rejected these propositions, and drafted objection letters against these propositions. According to the RTP Act engagements must be done until an agreement is agreed upon between residents and authorities. This means a process of objections or proposals, responses between the concerned parties until an amicable agreement is reached by both parties.

But while these engagements are supposed to be underway residents are surprised to find people pegging, selling or claiming to be viewing or bought stands in the same greenways that are suppossed to be still under these engagements.

Some of these individuals claimed to have been acting on behalf of real eastate agents.

The Zimbabwe Combined Residents and Ratepayers Association (ZICORRA)’s provincial chairperson for Harare, Lawrence Kuleya said they have since lodged objections to the Minister of Local Government on behalf of residents, however this left them with more questions as the authority denied the claims that they are responsible for the developments.

“As ZICORRA we have gone with residents who witnessed this to Local Government offices since we drafted the objection letters on behalf of some of the residents. They distanced themselves from the selling of any stands in greenways.

“So the question now remains is if the authority which this land falls under is ignorant of these happenings who is selling off these greenways?” questioned Kuleya.

“Another resident recently contacted complaining that when he got this letter for the greenway behind his house. He instead applied for it to be given first preference because he as well as other residents around him didn’t want houses behind their yards due to the congestion this will bring as well as water problems and so on.

“He was told by some Local Government officials that his request is still being processed since February last year. And recently as he was coming from these offices and was told the same thing, but he found someone else with an offer letter claiming that he was the new owner of the greenway behind his house. The offer letter was signed by the same official who was telling him that his request is still being processed,” added Kuleya.

Several greenways in Greencroft have seen people coming in claiming to have bought stands there.

In Haig Park some people have also been viewing numerous greenways, and there are reports that there was a grader which is on the ground in one of these areas.

Residents are now questioning if these institutions, both local government and council even consider the serious infrastructural challenges like water and sewer, schools and so on as their actions are causing residents to panic within communities.