Government’s announcement that it would be taking down “illegal structures” around the country, and the demolition of tuck shops in Ruwa last week, was met with criticism from many actors, including Kubatana’s subscribers. This week, the Ministry of Local Government and the City of Harare have begun to distance themselves from these plans.

With good reason – This ironic “Letter to Gogo” from a Kubatana subscriber puts the issue very well:

Nhamo Primary School
Box 100% Poverty
Uzumba

Dear Grandmother

I am happy to tell you that bhora mugedhi has started its operations in Harare.

The little I was sending you from my tuck shop is no more. If all goes well, I will lose my job through the employment creation and empowerment scheme on the table.

I will let you know the progress in due course.

Yours in poverty,
Tichafa

Given the destruction of illegal structures which began in Ruwa this week, and the Ministry of Local Government’s take that they are actually trying to protect people, we asked our subscribers for their perspective on the demolition of illegal structures, and what they were seeing on the ground. This is some of their feedback:

• Destruction of homes is inhuman with the crisis faced by people now, and in the rainy season. Some people are ruthless. I am not affected yet.
• Yes, I am affected by the destruction of homes. It is not good, we are left homeless.
• Here in Norton nothing much.
• They must first provide shelter then destroy. If they destroy now, where are they going to stay? Too bad.
• Nothing has happened yet in Chitungwiza butpeople have been warned. But this time we are going to fight back because this is politics. We have been allocated these stands by council and some buying from registered cooperatives. Chitown council approved these stands but today Zanu PF wants to destroy them.
• Tsunami again
• Ndiyo inonzi bhora mugedhi akomona. Let us not be more worried about these people whose houses and tuck shops are being destroyed by Murambatsvina. They are the same people who voted Zanu PF, it is again an eye opener. They forgot Murambatsvina yekuma2005. Hazvititadzise kudya sadza.
• This destruction is killing people. If for the bet they have to build houses for people and market places or give people stands.
• Murambatsvina 2 ma 1. But here in rural Chipinge hatisati taiona. Keep on updating us.
• It is so touching that the authorities let people build and then at last they say it is illegal so togarepi nhayi Havana tsitsi nesu shuwa.
• I have not yet seen this, I’m in Mutare. As soon as zvangosvika we will let you know.
• This move is wrongly timed and what is the solution since our economy is down, those tuck shops are sustaining lives for many Zimbabweans.
• This is nuisance and those affected should retaliate
• Buhera RDC abolished illegal vendors within the growth point, a public notice of one month. The vendors were a menace polluting and evading tax shrinking council revenue.
• These are the same people who gave us these so called illegal stands before the elections and now they want to divide the population again and drive people back to their strong holds namely rural areas. It’s wrong.
• I think all Zimbabweans must unite and demonstrate against Zanu PF plan because if we cannot show them true colour they think that is in good direction.
• Shanties bad but planning important.
• I am not affected by this but this is not fair. Where are those people going to stay. Zvavarikushandisa pakuputsa zvadii zvashandiswa pakukudevelopa. Marod akafa, magetsi arikunetsa. Hurumende ngaisada kutambudza vanhu ichidaro.
• Hey, I wonder what was that same minister doing when he allowed erection of illegal structures for the past years. Wasn’t he looting people’s money from such illegal land allocation? The so-called Mr Weapon is so wrong cause I don’t see any reason why he take such a stance as if when such activities were happening. I feel pity for those who will be affected.
• I am not affected but I foresee some disaster. A real crisis. Rise in rentals. Invasion of some neighbouring farms or forests just like the Hopley case. Ma1.And this will be disorder by trying to put order. I believe remedies should be done at appropriate times. My bigger question is why did they allow this to take place for the past years if they knew it was not apt?
• Report frm the ground; vagari vemaseke vanogara munharaunda dzinoti Murisa,kuora,chitsvatsva and kaseke varikuchema chaizvo mushure mekunge pabhuda nyaya yekuputsirwa dzimba varikuti ivo havasi kuzorega kusungisa avo vakavatengesera.apo vakapihwa piriod ye7days kuti vapaze dzimba idzi nekumira kuvaka bt as for nw hapana ati apaza.vamwe vevatengesi veland iyi varikutiza munyika nekuti havasisina mari yekudzosera varidzi they were nt investing they just buy car’s 2 cover there povart.
•  Hie i’m from ruwa.the destruction of tuckshops happened and it was bad, but now people still sell here tuckshops were destroyed, but now in open space
• Yes the destruction of homes & tuckshops has begun. Yes i’m really affected though not direct bcoz my relatives and friends ar suffering as a result of this  second phase of murambatsvina/vanhu. It is very painful and a great lose to all investments done by the pple only to be destroyed within some seconds by the notorious zanu pf. Im experiencing the ongoing suffering of the zimbabweans & th highest level criminal activities being enforced by this government. We ar now experiencing a bad system of governance.   I think pple should unite and stand up.

I phoned the Ministry of Local Government this afternoon to try and find out more about the plans to demolish illegal structures, and the reports from Ruwa that this has already begun. According to the person I spoke with (didn’t ask his name), the action currently taking place in Ruwa is targeting only tuck shops and is operating independently from the national government programme. He also said that the national government programme was actually aimed at protecting people, who were being taken advantage of by others who were manipulating the system. Hopefully, that protection for people includes providing them with alternative accommodation, or giving them a chance to register their home before it is summarily torn down as happened in 2005.

If you are in doubt about your structure, make sure it is registered with your municipal authority, e.g. Ruwa Local Board. If your address is registered with the board and you are receiving bills from your local authority at that address, he says, your home should be safe. However, if your property is not registered or you have concerns about whether your home will be destroyed, contact The Ministry of Local Government on: +263 712 804 880 or +263 4 791287.

In a move reminiscent of Operation Murambatsvina in 2005, Zimbabwe’s government has threatened to destroy “illegal structures,” including homes and tuck shops.

Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo said last week that a national programme to demolish these structures would take place.

According to one of our subscribers:

The demolition of structures went into the second day today in Ruwa. An operation which some critics like me have dubbed Operation Murambavanhu. Councillors have refused to come out in the open to discourage this Operation, fearing victimization from Chombo. Their answer to disgruntled victims is that “there is little we can do. It is a national program championed by the central government.”

News sources confirm that demolitions have begun in Ruwa, with houses and tuck shops being torn down.

If demolitions begin in your area, or you have eye-witness reports or photographs please share them with us via WhatsApp on +263 772 452201 or via email to info [at] kubatana [dot] net.

Also, VOA Zimbabwe says “The public is advised to approach the Ministry of Local Government for more details on mobile number +263 712 804 880 or +263 4 791287.” If the Councillors won’t speak up for us, we need to speak up for ourselves. Get in touch with the Ministry of Local Government and tell them what you think.

I went to the public dialogue on the Harare water crisis organised by the Wetlands Survival Forum last week.

I found the meeting, and the conversations I had with participants afterwards, both illuminating and infuriating.

Harare’s water situation is in a crisis. It was good to hear Mayor Manyenyeni acknowledge that, but as he also noted we are at least five years away from a solution – And a lot longer if the behaviour of both Harare residents and leadership doesn’t change.

Issues of urban cultivation, litter, development on wetlands, watering of lawns, the city’s decrepit infrastructure of pipes, siltation in Lake Chivero, the proliferation of boreholes and bulk water abstraction are all contributing to a dire water situation for Harare. According to one person I spoke with after the meeting, Harare’s water system will collapse within the next ten years unless large scale changes are made. It simply won’t be able to keep up with the growing demand and the steadily reducing supply.

There are some very basic things each of us can do to make a difference, like

• Don’t water your lawn, and speak with your neighbours, workplace and others about the negative impact a green lawn has on all of us
• Shower into a bucket and use that “grey water” to then fill your toilet cistern
• Place bricks wrapped in plastic (so they don’t crumble) or 500mL plastic water bottles in your toilet’s cistern so it uses less water with each flush (especially for older toilets, which typically had larger tanks)
• If it’s just urine, don’t bother to flush – Every flush of the toilet wastes a lot of water
• Don’t litter. The plastic you throw out on the road will likely get taken into a storm drain in the rains, and make its way to Lake Chivero, where it adds to the pollution choking the city’s filtration system
• Look into rain water harvesting. At a large or small scale, effectively capturing the rain water that does fall and bringing it back into the household for use would reduce the demand on both boreholes and the city’s water supply

But in addition to individual actions, there is a massive need for collective action. Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Mutizwa (Ward 9) said that local government’s concerns about some wetlands development projects had been overruled by national government, despite legislation like the Environmental Management Act which protects wetlands. In order to change Harare’s water situation, local and national government needs to be engaged. The Wetlands Survival Forum was set up to try and coordinate groups around the water issue – so support its efforts and get involved with it where you can. You can like them on Facebook to follow their activities, or email wetlandssurvivalforum [at] gmail [dot] com to get involved.

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