The Sunday Mail
Chitungwiza will move 22 000 illegally settled households to land in St Mary’s, Zengeza, Seke South and Unit J.
The development will see all settlers on wetlands and areas reserved for recreational facilities relocated. Structures built under electricity lines will be demolished.
Chitungwiza town clerk Mr George Makunde said the local authority would not pay any compensation to affected families.
Late last year, Government tasked the Urban Development Corporation to draw up measures to deal with illegal settlements.
“We are simply assisting our residents on the issue of legality. If anyone feels that they have a right to be comp ensated, that must be done by the co-operatives or individuals from whom they would have bought the illegal stands and not the council,” said Mr Makunde.
This paper established that Chitungwiza ordered those unprocedurally settled should pay a penalty of US$1 500 per stand for regularisation.
Another US$11 per month backdated to December 2013 is also required as service fees.
Mr Marvelous Kumalo, director of Chitungwiza Residents Trust welcomed the relocation plans but expressed concerns on the penalty and services fees.
“The penalty fee is too high for ordinary residents and unacceptable without any justification on the pricing model.
“What is it for and what is it going to be used for?
“The council’s claim to service fees is unfounded. They shouldn’t talk about service fees when these so called illegal structures do not have roads, there is no refuse collection, sewer system and running water.” Last September, the council met stiff resistance when it razed down 70 illegal structures built on wetlands and other undesignated areas in the town.
The authority sought to demolish 22 000 illegal structures but was blocked by the courts.
