Rutendo Chirume
As Zimbabwe prepares to host 15th Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) which will take place in Victoria Falls, from July 23 to 31, 2025, residents of Mandara in Harare have raised concerns over the impending damage of a local wetland due to a planned housing project by Doves Life Assurance.
The threatened wetland lies along Rushett Way on the Grange wetland zone which residents argue is zoned as a passive open space.
In a petition, the Mandara Association of Residents and Ratepayers (MARR) argue that the new development would be beneficial to the developer alone, but would wrought severe environmental damage.
“There will be no benefits to the Mandara community and nation at large as a result of a housing development on a wetland area, and increasing the housing density in Mandara. The only benefit will be to the developer. The provision of maximum 25 houses provides no significant socio-economic benefits,” partly reads the petition.
The resident association also claims that they have not consulted for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) being done by EnviroCare Environmental Consulting.
An EnviroCare official who picked up the call but refused to identify herself said their policy did not allow them to provide comments to the media on ongoing projects.
In an interview, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) Environmental Education and Publicity Manager Amkela Sidange said they were not aware of the planned development, and would only be able to provide a comprehensive comment after receiving the EIA results.
“I am not aware of any housing developer called Doves Assurance. In this case, we will not be able to do anything because we have not received any EIA. Until then, I cannot make any comment,” she said.
Climate Control, a student-led organization committed to climate action and environmental justice, voiced strong opposition to the housing development.
“We are not against development but we are against unsustainable, short-sighted planning which sacrifices long-term resilience for short-term gain. There are alternative locations better suited for housing development, places where growth can occur without destroying critical natural infrastructure,” said Climate Control president Tendayi Mushayi.
This was echoed by Praise Govere, an environmental and climate change advocate who said the development would disrupt local ecosystem balance.
“Wetlands such as those in the Grange are not just parcels of land. Rather, they are part of living ecosystems providing essential services like water purification, flood regulation, carbon storage, and groundwater recharge. In a water-scarce place like Mandara where communities already face challenges with access to municipal water, these natural systems are critical for survival and long-term resilience,” he said.
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