Residents of Monavale and Meyrick Park have expressed outrage after graders moved into the internationally recognised Monavale Wetland Ramsar Site clearing large sections of protected land in what conservationists describe as a brazen assault on one of Harare’s natural water source.
The destruction, which began last week, the residents said appears to be linked to a company known as Cablemail (Pvt) Ltd reportedly associated with a Mr Kataruse which allegedly acquired about 11 hectares of State land within the wetland under unclear circumstances in 2021.
The land reportedly forms part of the lower holes of Sherwood Golf Course and adjacent wetlands along Quendon Road.
According to the residents the activity has proceeded without approval from the City of Harare or the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) which fined the developer, identified as Mr Tiripano of TripTrans for violating section 97(2) of the Environmental Management Act.
Despite this, residents say grading continued on Saturday 4 October prompting police intervention and the brief arrest of two workers.
The developments come barely two months after Zimbabwe hosted the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Victoria Falls where the country now chairing the convention for the next three years reaffirmed its commitment to protect wetland ecosystems.
“This degrading of the wetland is utterly devastating. We have managed Monavale Vlei for 25 years. Losing it means losing water security and biodiversity. It must be retrieved and restored for the good of all,” said Dorothy Wakeling a Monavale resident and member of the Conservation Society of Monavale (COSMO).
Sherwood Golf Club chairman Briggs Bomba described the situation as wanton grabbing of community commons by land barons accusing authorities of turning a blind eye.
“We call on the whole community to join the fight for the preservation of the Monavale Wetland ecosystem our shared ecological heritage,” he said.
Experts warn that the destruction of the Monavale Wetland could worsen Harare’s ongoing water crisis.
Wetlands act as natural sponges filtering pollutants, replenishing groundwater, and feeding rivers and reservoirs such as Lake Chivero.
Their loss could reduce the city’s natural water storage and purification capacity, forcing greater reliance on boreholes and deepening groundwater depletion.
Documents seen by residents suggest the disputed land was transferred to Cablemail (Pvt) Ltd through a Deed of Grant issued by the Ministry of Local Government in October 2021.
Conservationists are demanding an urgent inquiry into how land within a protected Ramsar site could have been allocated for private use.
“The lack of transparency raises serious concerns about corruption and collusion between developers and authorities,” said a joint statement from COSMO, Sherwood Golf Club and Concerned Residents of Monavale and Meyrick Park.
The residents’ groups are calling on Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, Environment Minister Evelyn Ndlovu, and Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe to immediately halt all ongoing activities, investigate the land allocation and strengthen the enforcement of wetland protection laws.
“This is not just about Monavale. It’s about safeguarding Harare’s future water supply and preserving our natural heritage for generations to come,” the statement said.
