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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
Chitungwiza Municipality says it is working on addressing the issue of houses built over water and sewer pipes after people illegally acquired stands.

The case is presenting health problems for some residents.

In a statement, Chitungwiza Municipality public relations officer Mr Lovemore Meya said the issue has contributed to sewer problems experienced in the town.

“A sizeable number of people facing sewer overflows inside their homes purchased those stands illegally from land barons and are in possession of Agreements of Sale with organisations rather than the municipality,” he said.

“The fact that such residents eventually ended up on council’s database does not remove the initial liability, and in some instances administrative oversight occurred with the residents wrongfully not being billed for relocation of sewer lines.”

Mr Meya said in a bid to save some houses from demolition, council was in the process of regularising some properties which were built on undesignated sites.

“Council has had to regularise desperate residential developments on the premise of eventual relocation of sewer lines in a bid to avoid and prevent demolition of fully constructed homes,” he said.

“Some houses in St Mary’s, Seke Units A, C, N,O and P are facing the same challenges and are a clear example of these shady deals.”

The Nyatsime area, he said, was also facing similar challenges where people were illegally settled when the land was not yet serviced.

He said the local authority could only regularise a property after assessing whether the illegal structures were not constructed on top of sewer lines, water lines or under power lines.

If there is a case, the onus is on the home owner to foot the expenses of relocating the lines.

“The Municipality is carrying out an assessment exercise that includes establishment of a Geographical Information System (GIS) which will assist us in determining the exact extent of the problem and the costs thereto,” said Mr Meya.

“We will then consult our residents in affected areas so that the sewerage pipes are realigned at a minimal cost to them.”

Chitungwiza has had perennial sewer problems, and through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, the council had engagements with development partners who have since funded a two-week off-site workshop to address the illegal structures, sewerage problems and eradicate water borne diseases.