Published: 1 hour ago

The City of Harare has come under fire for allegedly failing to protect a gazetted wetland in Tafara, near Mabvuku Cemetery, amid ongoing land allocations and construction activities.

The area, known as the Gosden wetland, is recognised for its rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. It was officially designated an ecologically sensitive zone under the Environmental Management Act (2023) to preserve its ecosystem and function as a natural water source.

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) raised concerns that residential stands have been allocated and construction has begun on the wetland, warning that such development threatens the fragile ecosystem. The group alleged that some officials, reportedly affiliated with the ruling Zanu-PF party, are behind the land grabs, claiming ownership of state property.

"Allocating stands and allowing housing construction on this wetland will inherently collapse the various ecological services provided to residents for free," CHRA said in a statement, highlighting the environmental and community costs of the destruction.

The residents' association criticised the city for its apparent insincerity in wetland conservation, especially as Zimbabwe hosts the Ramsar COP 15 Conference, an international forum on wetland protection. CHRA noted the irony of city officials participating in global discussions while ignoring local environmental degradation.

CHRA also highlighted that the City of Harare has ignored warnings. The association reportedly alerted authorities in July 2024 about illegal land pegging in the wetland, but no action was taken. By July 31, 2025, earth-moving machinery and builders were operating openly in the area, causing significant ecological harm.

The association called on Harare's development control unit to intervene immediately and enforce the Environmental Management Act without bias. They stressed that claims that such development occurs without the city's knowledge are misleading, noting that construction proceeds in plain view of municipal officials.

The EMA Wetlands Master Plan aims to protect and restore wetland ecosystems, promote biodiversity, enhance water quality, and support sustainable land use. Residents and environmental advocates argue that failure to enforce these protections threatens both the environment and the community's access to natural resources.

Mayor Jacob Mafume and city spokesperson Stanley Gama were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

CHRA's statement underscores growing frustration over what they describe as unchecked environmental destruction and calls for urgent action to prevent further damage to Harare's wetlands.
- The Standard