Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. RESIDENTS of Monavale and Meyrick Park in Harare have expressed outrage over the ongoing grading and imminent construction work on the Monavale wetland, a protected site under the Ramsar Convention.
The environmentally disastrous development comes barely two months after the country renewed its commitment to protect ecologically sensitive spaces within its borders at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) on wetlands held in Victoria Falls.
In a joint statement, Conservation Society of Monavale (COSMO), Sherwood Golf Club & Community Hub, and Concerned Residents of Monavale & Meyrick Park said the developments were being carried out illegally, without valid permits from City of Harare and Environmental Management Agency (Ema).
“Ema responded swiftly (when residents reported) and issued the developer, one Mr Tiripano, reportedly of TripTrans, with a fine for violating section 97(2) of the Environmental Management Act.
“Undeterred, the developer continued grading the wetland on Saturday October 4, 2025. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of two persons working for the developer who were later released,” the statement read.
According to residents, the new development unfolds alongside an urgent land ownership controversy, where approximately 11 hectares of the Monavale Wetland Ramsar Site were purportedly acquired by Cablemail (Pvt) Ltd.
The entity is reportedly linked to a Mr Kataruse via a 2021 deed of grant from the Local Government ministry albeit under unclear circumstances.
Monavale resident and member of the community’s Conservation Society, Dorothy Wakeling, described the wetland destruction as “utterly devastating”, contradictory to city policies and national laws.
“We know what we are losing in terms of the wetland biodiversity from having managed Monavale Vlei for the past 25 years — it is an immense loss to water provisioning and nature,” Wakeling said.
Wetlands play a pivotal role in the water cycle as they recharge underground water by allowing it to sink into the soil, they act as natural purifiers and reduce high runoff which is a major cause of flooding.
“This graded area of wetland must be retrieved and then it can be restored for water provisioning for all,” Wakeling said. The policy of the City of Harare is densification. Where will the extra water come from when the wetlands have gone?”
Sherwood Golf Club proprietor Briggs Bomba said the community was disappointed by the wanton grabbing of community commons by land barons.
“We have been at the forefront of resisting illegal land invasion in the surrounding area — including attempts by land barons to encroach onto the golf course and wetland spaces,” he said.
“We call on the whole community to join the fight for the preservation of the Monavale Wetland ecosystem, which forms part of our shared ecological heritage of Harare.
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