The government has announced plans to demolish the existing dilapidated flats in Mbare and replace them with new high-rise buildings, aiming to decongest the overcrowded suburb and improve living conditions.
The move was announced by National Housing and Social Amenities Minister Daniel Garwe during the launch of “Operation Chenesa Harare,” a campaign launched on Wednesday to address a bed bug infestation known locally as tsikidzi.
Minister Garwe acknowledged the poor state of urban housing in Zimbabwe’s capital, stating, “Not only in Mbare, but in the majority of our high-density settlements, it is overcrowded. And these buildings you are seeing here, these flats or hostels, have seen their better days.”
He added that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had instructed the government to undertake an “urgent” urban regeneration program under the country’s Vision 2030 policy, which aims to modernize the city.
“Mbare will be a place to be. We want to ensure that the targets of Vision 2030 are achieved earlier, and this will be seen through the construction of new high-rise flats,” Garwe said, though he did not provide specific timelines, budgets, or detailed plans for the proposed redevelopment.
The announcement comes amid growing public concern over worsening sanitary conditions in Mbare, which has suffered from chronic neglect, underinvestment, and poor municipal management.
The suburb, once considered a vibrant residential area, has become a symbol of Zimbabwe’s broader urban crisis.
The government’s focus on Mbare coincides with “Operation Chenesa Harare,” a short-term effort to combat the tsikidzi bed bug outbreak that began three weeks ago.
Garwe explained that the campaign involved fumigation and health checks, but residents have criticized these measures as temporary fixes that do not address the deeper infrastructural issues.
“Three weeks ago, there was an outbreak of bed bugs here in Mbare called tsikidzi. We then sat down with the City of Harare and created some teams who began fumigation,” Garwe said.
He admitted that initial efforts faced resistance from residents, highlighting growing mistrust between the community and authorities.
The campaign involves multiple government ministries, including Health, Women’s Affairs, and Information, in what officials describe as a “whole-of-government approach.”
Critics argue that the promises of new high-rise flats are another example of the government’s pattern of grand pledges that lack clear implementation timelines or funding details.
Observers note that Zimbabwe’s urban infrastructure has been neglected for decades, and despite rhetoric of renewal, little concrete progress has been made.
Many residents remain skeptical that these housing projects will materialize or improve their living conditions, viewing the announcement as yet another propaganda stunt by the ruling regime.