‘They Sold Us the Land!’: Harare City Council Exposed in Brutal St Martins Demolitions
Emotions ran high and tears flowed freely in St Martins today as residents watched in sheer disbelief while Harare City Council excavators brutally tore through their homes. The structures, located opposite 1 Commando Barracks, were reduced to rubble as the council embarked on what it termed an "enforcement drive against unauthorized land occupations."
However, behind the City of Harare’s self-righteous public relations warnings about "land barons" lies a staggering paper trail of hypocrisy and deceit. A deep-dive investigation has exposed that the very same council currently tearing down these so-called "illegal" structures is the exact entity that sold the land, took the residents' US dollar deposits, and signed official Agreements of Sale.
The Council's Ultimate Betrayal
Evidence of a Council-Sanctioned Scam:
Looking the Other Way
Calls for Accountability
Who Authorized the Transactions?
Frequently Asked Questions
The City of Harare claimed the temporary and permanent structures opposite 1 Commando Barracks were built illegally by unauthorized land occupiers. However, evidence shows the council itself sold the land to many of the affected residents.
Yes. Investigations revealed that beneficiaries paid US$5,000 deposits, received allocation letters signed by the Director of Housing in July 2019, and signed official Agreements of Sale with the City of Harare.
Political figures have rebuked the council's actions, and there is a growing public demand for the Ministry of Local Government to launch a formal investigation into the corrupt practices within the City of Harare's housing department.
The Cruelty of Normalized Injustice
House demolitions in Harare have become so painfully common that society barely recognizes how abnormal and sadistic the practice truly is. We have watched for decades as hard-earned money is stolen and life savings are reduced to dust by the very institutions mandated to protect citizens.
The St Martins tragedy is the ultimate indictment of the City of Harare. It is abhorrent to issue public warnings against "land barons" when the council's own housing department operates like a syndicate—taking deposits, signing agreements of sale, and later labeling the resulting homes as "illegal." If there were irregularities, the corrupt officials who authorized the transactions must face justice, not the innocent families who followed the rules. We echo the calls for the Ministry of Local Government to urgently investigate and dismantle the rot at Town House.
@ Sona Headlines | News & Investigations Desk
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