Municipal police and bulldozers demolished homes in the St Martins Extension suburb of Harare on Friday, August 14, leaving families including Methro Masunga and Chengeta homeless.
Legal Disputes Over Land
The destruction of properties in St Martins Extension has sparked a dispute regarding the validity of council-linked land allocations. While some residents received official documents after paying for residential stands through the city council, others were told their construction lacked necessary approvals.
Precious Shumba, director of the Harare Residents’ Trust, argued that the demolitions ignored a legal safeguard. The municipality says it is enforcing planning regulations against structures, Shumba said, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Justice Happias Zhou had issued a consent order on October 29, 2025, in case HCH5444/25, which prohibited the City of Harare from evicting named applicants or demolishing their homes without a valid court order. However, the council maintains it did not target properties protected by this specific order.
Families in Harare, Zimbabwe, are homeless after bulldozers razed homes in St Martins Extension. Residents say they bought land legally. Council says it targets unapproved structures, with more than 5,000 houses facing court-ordered demolition. 🔗 https://t.co/X9I7mXkguo pic.twitter.com/TWC4UAekkj
“We are only demolishing structures built illegally whose owners were told and warned many times not to proceed with construction,” Stanley Gama, the municipality's spokesperson, said.
“There was a court order for them to stop demolitions,” Memory Chengeta said.
Resident Financial Losses
Many affected individuals had invested significant savings into their properties, believing their tenure to be secure. Methro Masunga, a single mother of three, began paying for her stand in 2015 and received an allocation in 2019.
Joachim Nhete reported that he lacked insurance to recover his losses and is looking to the courts for accountability.
A resident narrates in distress as he watches his house being demolished in the St Martins area, opposite 1 Commando Barracks, describing the heartbreaking moment as the demolition exercise unfolds.#Demolitions #Harare pic.twitter.com/SXCIhxKobI
Ongoing Council Enforcement
The City of Harare has been conducting a wider program to address unauthorized land sales and construction. City council records indicate that more than 5,000 houses are currently facing potential demolition under 37 outstanding High Court orders, according to the Bahamas Spectator. A council task force has inspected 22,255 sites to identify structures built on prohibited or unauthorized land.
