Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe says authorities have been instructed not to enforce the orders as the government moves to protect homeowners, pursue land barons and regularise settlements.

HARARE — The Zimbabwean government has intervened to prevent the enforcement of 5,000 court orders for the demolition of properties in Harare, as authorities shift their focus toward regularising settlements and pursuing illegal land dealers.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe told the Senate on Thursday that the government had appealed to local authorities not to implement the demolition orders while working on a solution for residents who acquired stands through illegal land transactions.

“To date, the City of Harare is sitting on five thousand court orders which we have told them not to implement,” Garwe said.

The intervention forms part of the government’s efforts to protect affected homeowners from further demolitions while addressing illegal land allocations.

Garwe said the government was working with local authorities to identify land barons responsible for selling land illegally and to regularise settlements wherever possible.

“Together with the local authorities, we have to identify where these land barons are and we then deal with the land barons directly,” he said.

The minister was responding to Senator Munemo, who sought clarification on the government’s position following a November 9 directive calling for an end to demolitions and the regularisation of affected settlements.

Munemo also asked whether families whose homes had already been demolished in areas including St. Mary’s, Belvedere and Mabelreign would receive compensation, alternative residential stands or other assistance.

Garwe explained that previous demolitions had resulted from court orders obtained by legitimate landowners after their properties were illegally occupied or sold by land barons.

He said the government had not directed those demolitions and could not override court decisions.

“There is no Government policy, which speaks to Government directing local authorities to demolish people’s homes,” Garwe said.

Instead, he said, the government had engaged local authorities and appealed for the suspension of demolition activities while pursuing regularisation.

Under the proposed approach, affected homeowners would be able to work toward obtaining title deeds through a user-pays arrangement involving the legitimate owners of the land.

Garwe said payment for the land would be necessary before ownership could be formally transferred.

“Without paying for the land to the legitimate owners of those pieces of land, they will not be able to get any title deed for it,” he said.

The approach seeks to address the consequences of illegal land sales while allowing existing settlements to be considered for regularisation rather than demolition.

The government’s position was challenged by Senator Sesel  Zvidzai, who questioned Garwe’s denial of government involvement in previous demolitions.

Zvidzai said he had seen images appearing to show the minister participating in demolition operations.

Garwe rejected the allegation, insisting that the government had never directed the demolition of any house.

The presiding officer advised Zvidzai to submit his allegations in writing. Although the government’s intervention has provided a reprieve from the immediate enforcement of the demolition orders, it was not immediately clear whether the courts had formally suspended or withdrawn them.