CHITUNGWIZA – A fierce war has ensued between Chitungwiza residents and their municipality over the local authority’s intention to demolish properties allegedly built on undesignated land.
Eleven residents have since approached the High Court seeking to bar the municipality from executing the plan.
According to an application filed on Monday this week, the applicants in the matter, Nyatsime Beneficiaries Trust and 11 individuals, cited Chitungwiza Municipality as the respondent in the land dispute which has since been set to be heard next Monday before Justice David Mangota.
In the affidavit filed by Alice Matambo, the residents and council are involved in a land dispute which arose after the land was subdivided and sold to members of the trust.
According to court papers, Chitungwiza Municipality initially sought to evict the residents through an urgent chamber application, which was apparently dismissed, but the residents said they feared they could be left homeless if the municipality proceeded to execute its threat.
They argued it was a contravention of the Constitution for the municipality to pull down their properties without a valid court order allowing the actions.