With the ink on the Cheda Commission findings report barely dry, it seems the City of Harare has more skeletons crawling out of the closet.
Allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and questionable land deals continue to plague the capital city, leaving residents and experts demanding answers and reform.
The Cheda Commission presented to His Excellence, President Emmerson Mnangagwa a damning report of some urban and rural councils shenanigans.
Topping the rot is the City of Harare.
The Commission found that land barons had a pervasive influence, facilitated by city officials, creating a toxic environment that is undermining council’s ability to govern effectively.
Borrowdale is under siege with one developer advertising 400sqm stands.
The anomally lies in the developer selling stands which fall in the high to middle density framework.
The land developers are allegedly bypassing the normal approval process, with plans being authorised at Cleveland House without the knowledge or input of the District Office.
The once tranquil and Harare’s plush suburb of Borrowdale is facing an uncertain future as proposed high-density developments threaten to transform the area.
This suggests a lack of transparency and potential corruption in the City of Harare.
The Borrowdale Local Plan (LP32) has zoned areas for three-storey apartments, despite concerns from residents and experts about the lack of infrastructure to support such developments.
Some developers are advertising and selling plots and stands without obtaining necessary government approvals, which raises concerns about the legitimacy and sustainability of these developments.
Questions sent to the City of Harare authorities on three occasions prior to publication of this article received no response.
The infrastructure conundrum in Borrowdale is at a crossroads.
One of the major concerns is the stretched sewerage system.
The existing sewers are located on the west side of Borrowdale Road, which acts as a high ridge line between the east and west sides of the suburb.
This means that any sewers on the eastern side would need to be pumped uphill to join the existing sewerage system flowing to Crowbrough sewage works.
With the developers claiming to install bio digesters, such densified numbers are beyond the bio digesters ability.
We caught up with Borrowdale Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson Robert Mutyasira who said the strain on the suburb is already felt and any underhand developments should be halted as a matter of urgency.
Mutyasira questioned the city’s plans to infuse the densification of Borrowdale into the already strained infrastructure.
“The developers are already advertising and selling plots and stands without any approval from the government. Borrowdale residents will leave no stone unturned,” said Mutyasira.
“How will the City of Harare ensure infrastructure keeps pace with high-densification developments set to come up on these three sites, on 8 Hedsor Drive, 29 Borrowdale Road and Lobels Farm with three-storey apartments planned for Borrowdale, a traditionally low-density area.
“With the city authorities not carrying out any infrastructure repairs, all major roads are potholed, no council water flowing, no public school or clinic built to cater for the ever growing population.
“The proposed densification through cluster house developments and three storey apartments in Ward 18 is a strain on the already failing amenities.”
A tour of Borrowdale showed residential homes already on wetlands.
A sore dilapidated structure that was intended to be a hotel stands on the corner of Carrick Creagh and Crowhill Road.
The one time vlei, supporting the ecosystem with flora and fauna, is now a residential area, negatively impacting the ecosystem.
Mutyasira alleged anomalies where the district office was overlooked in all these deals, with brown envelopes allegedly changing hands behind the scenes.
“Underhand deals are taking place. The norm is any developer must approach the district office (D.O.) and the D.O. looks at the proposed developments.
“The D.O. then takes the documents to the authorities at Cleveland House in town. For Harare it is the opposite. The DO does not even know of some of these plans,” he said.
“They are authorised at Cleveland House. So this means the assessment process is warped. Money is alleged to have exchanged hands at the detriment of the community.
“These cluster developments are not bringing any development at all. All they do is to densify the once low density suburb.
“With no schools built, the challenge of enrolment in the public schools built prior to Independence is showing a severe strain.
“The congestion on the roads is now a permanent occasion, with no difference from the peak hour. There are no clinics to support the growing population, this is not the way city planning is envisaged.”
Coming to borehole water as an option, Mutyasira said the suburb risked being over drilled.
“Some areas have not received municipal water since the early 2000s, and residents are forced to rely on drilling boreholes to access water.
“However, the water table is lowering at an alarming rate. Residents are having to drill deeper and deeper, with some boreholes tapping water at depths of 130 meters or more from the usual 40 to 50 metre depths.
“This raises serious concerns about the sustainability of water supply in the area.
“The roads in Borrowdale are also of grave concern. While some have been resurfaced by the residents association and individuals, many are narrow and potholed, and would be unable to cope with the increased traffic generated by high-density developments.”
He added: “Furthermore, there is lack of public facilities such as schools, hospitals and police stations to cater for the growing population. “Residents and experts are calling on the Harare City Council to reconsider the proposed developments and prioritise infrastructural development.
“Council needs to take a more proactive approach to managing development and ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with the population growth.”
Borrowdale residents propose the council to operate in a transparent manner.
Mutyasira said public documents should be open to scrutiny, adding that council officials should be remunerated fairly and any instances of corruption should be punished severely.
He also said inspectors should be equipped with the necessary resources to monitor and enforce compliance with planning regulations.
“We call on council to stop regularisation of illegal developments. This is promoting the haphazard developments, the practice of allowing developers to regularise illegal developments by paying a fee should be stopped.
“Instead, developers should be held accountable for complying with planning regulations, and illegal structures should be demolished at the developer’s expense,” the Borrowdale Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson said.
“Measures should be put in place to mitigate the environmental impact of developments, including reducing air pollution from road humps and minimising dust pollution.”
Mutyasira pointed out that the environment is a heritage passed down from generation to generation.
“Zimbabwe recently held the COP15 in Victoria Falls and came up with The Victoria Falls Declaration, a landmark commitment to wetland conservation, restoration, and sustainable development,” he said. “Adopted at COP15, it promotes global co-operation, community empowerment and innovative initiatives like Global Wetland Watch and Wetland City Accreditation to protect wetlands and support biodiversity, climate resilience and human well-being.
“This is what the Borrowdale residents are demanding be respected.”
Mutyasira said the environment belonged to future generations.
“The environment is not ours, it belongs to future generations. We found it intact. We cannot fold our hands while greedy people vandalised the environment,” Mutyasira said.
“The damage being done will be hard or impossible to correct. As custodians of a functional environment, this wanton destruction must be stopped now.” Newshawks is reliably that the District Office is not informed of any plans approved at Cleveland House in town.
“Residents have in the past, seen developments take shape amid poor planning. Borrowdale’s natural environment, including wetlands and green spaces are being destroyed,” Mutyasira said.
“City planning takes recognition of population density as a factor to classification. The residents said that there are no mechanisms in place for residents to provide input on development plans.
“Their concerns fall on deaf ears as the D.O. is no longer the approving office in Borrowdale. Power has been usurped by guys sitting at Cleveland House.”
He said Lobels Farm forms part of a main wetland and should remain as the purification ecosystem.
“As Borrowdale residents, we are saying a big no to this. Did EMA (Environmental Management Authority) approve these planned developments first?
“Some developers are already selling while the approval is still pending,” Mutyasira said
“Did EMA approve these developments first? Or the documentation by the City of Harare preceded the EMA certification? The future of Borrowdale hangs in the balance.”
In May 2024, President Emmerson Mnangagwa appointed a commission of inquiry into Harare City Council’s governance, led by Justice Maphios Cheda. On June 19, 2025, the commission presented key findings of gross mismanagement, widespread irregularities and systemic governance breakdowns were uncovered, with many dirty hands in the cookie jar.
Serious concerns were raised about the conduct of senior officials, with some implicated in corruption and abuse of power.
Questionable financial decisions and non-compliance with local government regulations were highlighted, including the expenditure of US$1 million on top-of-the-range vehicles without approval.
The Combined Harare Residents Association has demanded that heads should roll at the municipality, while Harare Residents Trust co-ordinator Precious Shumba expects sweeping changes at Harare Town House.
President Mnangagwa is expected to give the way forward with appropriate action to be taken based on the commission’s recommendations.
Meanwhile, Local Government and Public Works minister Daniel Garwe has vowed to leave no stone unturned in fighting corruption in urban and rural councils.
“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, are setting up a special taskforce to exclusively investigate local authorities and ensure allegations raised against councils and their officials, are thoroughly investigated and resolved,” Garwe said.
With Borrowdale residents’ pleas falling on deaf ears, will the Harare City Council prioritise the needs of residents and invest in the necessary infrastructure?
Will the suburb be transformed into a densely populated area with inadequate services?
Or will the City of Harare stop corrupt activities?
Only time will tell! As the media, the pen will continue to speak without fear, favour or bias. – News Hawk