Harare Residents Petition City Council Over Cluster Housing Policy

The Harare City Council (HCC) held a consultative meeting with residents to discuss their cluster housing policy on 20 August this year. Prior to this meeting, a group of ratepayers and residents from the suburbs of Mount Pleasant, Groombridge, Arundel, Northwood, Vainona, Pomona (encompassing Wards 17 and 19), and surrounding areas submitted a petition with their concerns.

The petition states that in December 2023, the HCC conducted a similar consultation meeting with residents of Wards 17 and 19 regarding their new cluster housing policy. At that time, the residents rejected the policy, arguing that the HCC must first upgrade existing infrastructure like sewer, water, and roads, as well as provide more social amenities, before approving new cluster developments.

However, the petitioners claim the HCC has continued to approve many new cluster developments in these wards without addressing the residents' previous concerns. The petitioners are therefore sceptical that the current consultative meeting is just a "tick-box exercise" and that the HCC will proceed with adopting and implementing the policy despite their objections.

The key points raised in the petition

Character of suburbs: The petitioners want their low-density suburbs to remain as such, and do not want to be forced into living in higher-density areas. They argue the HCC is aware Harare is already overburdened and that the solution should not be to densify existing areas without first upgrading infrastructure.

Inadequate infrastructure: The petitioners state the existing sewer, water, and road networks are unable to cope with the current population, let alone additional density from cluster developments. They cite frequent sewage issues, erratic water supply, and congested roads.

Depletion of groundwater: The petitioners are concerned that the proliferation of boreholes and development on wetlands is depleting the water table, which most residents rely on.

Lack of amenities: The petitioners argue the existing amenities like schools, clinics, and recreational facilities are already overstretched and cannot accommodate further population growth.

To address these concerns, the petitioners make several recommendations, including:

• Respecting the wishes of current residents who prefer low-density living
• Imposing a moratorium on approving new cluster developments until infrastructure is upgraded
• Developing clear guidelines for cluster development, such as minimum stand sizes and height restrictions
• Increasing scrutiny of change-of-use applications
• Improving transparency by widely advertising change-of-use application

The petition reflects the residents' desire to have their concerns meaningfully addressed before the HCC proceeds with its cluster housing policy. You can read the petition here.