Harare residents have strongly condemned the ongoing destruction of a protected wetland near Mabvuku Cemetery in the Gosden area of Tafara, accusing the City of Harare of insincerity and neglect in upholding environmental laws.
In a statement released today, the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) said the construction of houses and allocation of stands on the ecologically sensitive site violates the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27], under which the wetland was officially gazetted in 2023. The association warned that continued development threatens to collapse essential ecological services the wetland provides to residents at no cost, including water retention and biodiversity support.
“This disturbed wetland is not only a water source for the area but also rich in biodiversity,” CHRA said. “Allowing housing construction on this wetland will inherently collapse the various ecological services.”
The residents’ group also accused Harare City Council of ignoring its legal obligation to adhere to the EMA-Gazetted Wetland Map in its urban planning. According to CHRA, the recent developments are taking place as Zimbabwe hosts the Ramsar COP15 Conference on wetland protection — an irony not lost on residents who view the city’s actions as hypocritical.
CHRA revealed it had raised concerns with both the City of Harare and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in October 2024 when stands in the Tafara wetland were first pegged. However, no action was taken, and as of today, heavy earth-moving equipment and construction crews have begun full-scale operations in the area.
“We vehemently rebuff claims by the local authority that people construct houses overnight,” the statement added. “These developments happen in full view of local authority officials.”
CHRA is now calling on the City of Harare’s development control unit to intervene immediately and stop all development in the protected area, urging them to act without “fear or favour.”
