A tense standoff is brewing in Harare’s northern suburbs as Crowhill Views residents protest the closure of their main access road by the Mt Breezes Borrowdale Brooke Owners Association.
Residents are further outraged by the support for the closure from Goromonzi North legislator Ozias Bvute, who they say is siding with the association at the expense of genuine corns by residence.
The dispute centers on a public road connecting Crowhill Views to essential services, including schools and commercial areas.
Residents say the closure, part of Mt Breezes’ plan to establish a gated community, would leave them cut off from basic access, forcing them onto longer, less accessible routes.
“They are walling off our only road, and now we have our own MP backing them up—it’s like he’s forgotten who he represents. This road is critical to our daily lives. We have children who go to school, workers who commute, and families who rely on this route,” said one resident.
According to locals who spoke on condition of anonymity, Bvute has endorsed the Mt Breezes association’s right to control access through the road, which runs through their subdivision, an endorsement that has left residents feeling abandoned.
“He’s choosing the side of a gated community over an entire neighborhood’s access needs. It’s incredibly disappointing. If they block this road, it’s not just an inconvenience; it’s a matter of access to education and basic services. We need leaders who will stand with us, not side with private interests,” said another resident
The closure would impact hundreds of families in Crowhill Views and nearby areas who use the road daily for school runs, work commutes, and access to other neighborhoods.
Crowhill Primary School, which serves many local children, would be especially hard to reach if the road were closed, parents argue.
“We’re calling on Harare City Council to look into this and prevent what we see as a serious overreach. It’s unfair to cut us off, especially with our legislator supporting them,” said another resident.
The residents have since made a report at Borrowdale Police Station and were planning to send a petition to the City of Harare and the Ministry of Local Government.
Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from a Mr. Mhuri and Ndlovu from Mt Breezes Borrowdale Brooke Owners Association or the Bvute were in vain.
The affected residents are from Crowhill, Cleverhill, Charlotte brooke, as of yesterday an excavator at the site had been pulling boulders closing the road.
