Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has implored politicians to desist from using land as a campaign tool as the development is causing unnecessary confusion and displacement of unsuspecting beneficiaries.
In a statement, CHRA noted that land should not be used as political tool to buy votes from the electorate by the politicians.
“We are concerned that the distribution of land as a campaign tool is being done in direct disregard of laid down procedures and the result has been a series of demolitions that often result in the victims losing property and having to spend days in the open.
“Some of the victims have also lost their hard earned money which they are made to pay for purposes of developing areas where they would have been allocated housing stands,” read part of the statement.
CHRA reiterates that land must never be used as a campaign tool and urged residents to follow correct procedures when acquiring land for housing purposes.
“As the nation gets into election mode, CHRA implores responsible authorities to put in place tight measures that will ensure politicians to do not parcel out land illegally.
“It has always been the norm that during election time in Zimbabwe, housing stands are parceled out to prospective voters but soon after the elections, the beneficiaries become victims of “demolition of illegal structures,” noted CHRA.
CHRA’s call comes after a group of Warren Park residents who fell victim to illegal allocation of land by politicians were on Tuesday left homeless after being evicted from the area they had been settled.
The residents association accused political activists ‘aligned to the ruling party’, Zanu (PF) of abusing their links to the party to grab land for housing purposes.
“This development has also been largely responsible for the sprouting of illegal structures in Harare and our major concern here is the fact that the land grabs have the blessings of politicians who are seeking to use land as a campaign tool ahead of the 2018 elections,” said CHRA.
