Municipal police in Harare demolished homes in the St Martins Extension suburb on August 14, 2026, leaving residents like 28-year-old Methro Masunga without housing.
The operation began at 5:00 a.m. as bulldozers arrived to clear structures the city council identified as illegal.
Masunga, a single mother of three, stated she had spent five years working part-time jobs to afford her residential stand. She began payments in 2015, receiving an allocation in 2019 and formalizing the arrangement with the city council in 2020, according to Al Jazeera.
**Methro Masunga**, a single mother of three, said, *“I thought they were here for some other business, probably land development or road grading; alas, they had been sent to destroy our homes. We tried to understand, but no one would hear us.”**
St Martins Legal Disputes
The demolitions have occurred despite an October 29, 2025, consent order issued by Justice Happias Zhou in case HCH5444/25. That order barred the City of Harare from evicting named applicants or destroying their homes without a valid court order.
🔴 Harare demolishes 5,000+ homes; residents cite court orders, lost savings Harare municipal authorities demolished homes in St Martins Extension on Friday, August 14, displacing residents who say they purchased stands through council processes and spent years building. City… pic.twitter.com/GkRFb9Y2ar
City spokesperson Stanley Gama told local media that the municipality only targeted structures whose owners had been warned repeatedly about building on unauthorized land. However, residents like Memory Chengeta argued that authorities proceeded with the destruction without overturning the previous judicial protection.
**Memory Chengeta**, whose house was demolished, said, *“There was a court order for them to stop demolitions. The municipal authorities came with no court order that overturned the previous judgement, but went ahead to destroy the properties.”**
Municipal Enforcement and Land Records
City records reviewed by Al Jazeera indicate that more than 5,000 houses in Harare are currently facing potential demolition under 37 outstanding High Court orders. A municipal task force has inspected over 22,000 sites to identify structures built on prohibited or unserviced land.
Precious Shumba, director of the Harare Residents’ Trust, described the actions as troubling given the existing court protections. He stated that municipal legal officers directed the police to carry out the demolitions despite the pending legal status of several properties.
Families in Harare, Zimbabwe, are homeless after bulldozers razed homes in St Martins Extension. Residents say they bought land legally. Council says it targets unapproved structures, with more than 5,000 houses facing court-ordered demolition. 🔗 https://t.co/X9I7mXkguo pic.twitter.com/TWC4UAekkj
Council Officials Face Allegations in Land Deals
The current conflict stems from long-standing issues in Harare’s land administration, including weak record-keeping and unauthorized sales. A 2019 commission of inquiry led by Justice Tendai Uchena previously identified systemic failures where state land was sold by unauthorized parties, sometimes allegedly involving council officials.
David Jenje, chairman of the St Martins Residents Association, maintains that residents followed formal council processes. He noted that members paid deposits as early as 2018 and signed agreements of sale in 2020.
Court Protections Exclude Unnamed Residents
Did the court order protect every resident in St Martins?
The October 2025 consent order applied to specific named applicants in case HCH5444/25. It is not currently established whether every affected resident, such as Masunga or Chengeta, was officially included under that specific legal protection.
What is the status of the commission of inquiry reports?
The Harare Residents’ Trust has requested the publication of the 2019 Uchena commission report and the implementation of findings from the Justice Maphios Cheda commission. These reports investigate the city’s broader governance crisis and land management failures.
Breaking: Demolitions happening now in Harare's St Martins area opposite 1 Commando Barracks, with both temporary and permanent structures reportedly built illegally being brought down. pic.twitter.com/6KI9ZadOPe
What happens to residents who lost their homes?
Many affected individuals, including Masunga and Chengeta, remain at the site in makeshift shelters. While some residents had home insurance, others like Joachim Nhete, who invested over $10,000 in his property, have reported no way to recover their financial losses.
More on St Martins Extension
#HappeningNow: Demolitions are underway in St Martins, opposite Commando, where both temporary and permanent structures reportedly built illegally are being brought down by the City of Harare. pic.twitter.com/wSmXjbEGL4
A resident narrates in distress as he watches his house being demolished in the St Martins area, opposite 1 Commando Barracks, describing the heartbreaking moment as the demolition exercise unfolds.#Demolitions #Harare pic.twitter.com/SXCIhxKobI