Mashonaland — AN estimated 1 800 property owners facing eviction from Railway Farm 8 in Kadoma were granted relief after the High Court last week barred the State from ejecting them.
The affected individuals were in 2014 initially allocated stands on land belonging to another housing cooperative at Pixie Combie, but it occurred there were irregularities in the allocation.
To cure the anomaly, the parent ministry identified land at Hoffman Farm also known as Railway Farm 8, where they were allocated stands at the newly developed site known as Green Hood Park.
Despite the intervention, there were stakeholders bent on removing the new occupants from the land on which some had already built houses. The concerns triggered a temporary halt of developments at the project.
However, last week High Court Judge, Justice Amy Tsanga ordered the respondents, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and Zimbabwe Youth Promotion Corporation, to halt impending evictions, which the jurist says are in breach of the country's supreme law.
"It is declared that evicting the applicants and their members without a court order is illegal as it violates Section 74 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe," reads part of the ruling.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Green Hood Park Housing Scheme public relations director, Lenin Samhembere (pictured), confirmed the latest twist.
"As you may be aware, there were concerns raised by certain parties regarding the legitimacy of our organisation and the allocation of land for our housing projects. These concerns led to a temporary halt in our recruitment and developmental activities.
"However, we are pleased to inform you that on April 16, 2024, the High Court issued a provisional order under case number HCH 1785/24, which bars the State from evicting our members from Railway Farm Kadoma without a court order," said Samhembere.
He said the effect of the court decree was that occupants were free to remain at their properties and continue with infrastructural developments.
"Furthermore, the court order allows our members to continue residing at Railway Farm, Kadoma unless evicted through an order of a competent court.
"Additionally, the provisional order interdicts the respondents from interfering with our scheme's developmental projects," he added.
Samhembere said the court order provides a significant level of protection and assurance for scheme members and ongoing projects.
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"It reaffirms the legitimacy of our organisation and the validity of our efforts to provide affordable housing solutions to our community," he said.
Samhembere expressed gratitude to all members, including residents associations for their patience and support during the legal battle which also dragged Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities and Kadoma City Council officials.
Two residents' associations namely Youths Lodgers Association and Women's Caucus Association were instrumental in launching the court challenge.
"Moving forward, we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency and accountability in all our endeavours. We will continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the success and sustainability of our housing projects. Together, we can build a brighter future for our community," Samhembere said.
According to the scheme's proposed layout plan seen by NewZimbabwe.com, there are 1 679 residential stands, three schools, two churches, four creches, a police station and two local authority institutions.
