“No Demolitions Planned for Stone Ridge,” Says MP, But Land Questions Remain
Story By Staff Reporter
Harare South legislator Hon. Trymore Kanopula says the government has no plans to demolish homes in Stone Ridge. He says work has started to improve drainage and reduce flooding in the area before the rains arrive.
Stone Ridge is home to hundreds of families, including people relocated from Arlington, near the airport. For years, residents have battled flooding, poor roads and inadequate drainage, with heavy rains threatening homes and disrupting daily life.
Demolitions raise fears over housing security
Concerns about housing security grew in June, when authorities demolished structures on a disputed twenty-hectare parcel of land following a reported ownership claim by Chinese investor Qingfeng Lin. The demolitions have left other residents uneasy, particularly those still waiting for their settlement to be regularised.
Kanopula says no government programme targets Stone Ridge for demolitions. However, the assurance does not in itself resolve outstanding questions over land ownership or establish the legal status of individual properties. He says future decisions on settlements will be guided by audits and regularisation processes.
School planned
The legislator also revealed plans to build a school in the area, saying funding is already available for two classroom blocks. He says the project will follow a build, operate and transfer model, with the school handed over to the government once complete.
Drainage works under way
On flooding, one ton of cement and twenty cubic meters of stone have been placed for drainage infrastructure, alongside plans to improve roads and build stormwater drains.
The initiative involves Dialogue on Shelter and the Zimbabwe Homeless People’s Federation, organisations that work with communities in informal settlements to improve living conditions and strengthen disaster preparedness. Dialogue on Shelter representative Evans Banana says the programme will focus on road improvements and stormwater drainage, drawing on lessons from similar interventions elsewhere.
The scale of the intervention, the funding available and the completion timeline will be critical as the rainy season approaches.
Residents hope for relief
The prospect of better drainage follows years of exposure to flood waters that have disrupted daily life and raised fears for children’s safety. One resident says the flooding has also affected children’s access to education, and recalled the deaths of two children reportedly swept away by flood waters last year.
The proposed works could reduce flood risks, but their impact will depend on how far construction goes, the resources available and whether the work is finished on time. For Stone Ridge residents, the immediate challenge is preparing for the rains while waiting for clarity on the future of their homes.
