Government has ordered an immediate halt to development on the Monavale Wetland following a residents protest against land clearing in the protected area.

The directive, aggrieved residents say, came after officials visited the site on Tuesday, responding to public outcry over grading works reportedly meant to create stands for Members of Parliament.

Permanent Secretary for Presidential Affairs and Devolution, Tafadzwa Muguti, said the development had not been approved and must stop.

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"This particular instance was not cleared by Parliament, it was not cleared by Government. This is not how we do things," said Muguti.

"We will be allocating stands to Members of Parliament, but not like this... the instruction which is there still stands: that this area is a no-go area."

The intervention follows a protest by residents under the #SaveMonavaleVlei campaign on Sunday.

Campaign organisers said the move marked a "major breakthrough" in efforts to protect the wetland, which had recently been disturbed by graders and surveyors.

Monavale is one of Zimbabwe's seven wetlands of international importance and plays a key role in water storage, flood control and biodiversity conservation.

Residents have been pushing back against repeated attempts to develop the area, including a controversial project approved under an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate, which is now under appeal.

Authorities, including the Environmental Management Agency and City of Harare, have since been tasked to investigate the recent activities at the site.