The government of Zimbabwe has directed property owners across the country to repair and renovate buildings deemed to be in a state of disrepair, with non-compliance potentially resulting in fines or imprisonment. The directive was announced by Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe during a press conference in Harare on June 6.
According to Garwe, all 92 of the country’s local authorities have been instructed to issue abatement orders to owners of dilapidated properties. An abatement order is a legal notice requiring an individual or entity to cease or remedy an activity that is considered a nuisance or a violation of regulations.
“Local authorities are being directed to issue abatement orders to all property owners, in terms of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act and the Public Health Act, for the repair, repainting, and cleaning up of their buildings,” Garwe stated.
Under the terms of the directive, property owners who fail to comply with the abatement orders face potential legal consequences. These include fines and a possible jail term of up to six months, as outlined in the governing acts.
The minister framed the initiative as part of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “Call to Action — No Compromise to Service Delivery” policy, which aims to improve public services and infrastructure. Garwe linked the condition of the country’s buildings to national development goals.
“The state of some of our buildings is not consistent with the vision of attaining an empowered upper-middle-income society by 2030,” Garwe said at the press conference. He added that the enforcement of building standards is intended to restore “sanity, order, and control” in urban and rural areas.
The directive applies to residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Local authorities are now tasked with identifying non-compliant buildings and serving the necessary notices to their owners, initiating the enforcement process mandated by the central government.
