By Anna Chibamu

SOUTHERTON MDC Alliance MP Peter Moyo has demanded that National Housing Minister Daniel Garwe should resign immediately, or be fired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa over the continued destruction of ‘illegal structures’ in local councils.

Speaking in the House Assembly Tuesday, the MP said Garwe should resign for causing pain and deaths among citizens whose houses and businesses have been demolished by local authorities backed by government, including heavily armed police officers.

“The destruction of houses in Zimbabwe is now a cause of concern to us. I raised the issue with Minister Garwe when he gave a ministerial statement in the House. Minister Garwe promised that no houses would be demolished, but we have in the past weeks witnessed the acceleration of these demolitions. It is with a heavy heart that l raise this issue with you Mr. Speaker Sir,” he said.

“Thousands and thousands of people are now homeless in their own country. Minister Garwe has destroyed the livelihoods of the people. We have witnessed people dying of heart attacks and pain losing their houses built from hard-earned cash.

“He must be sacked. He must resign now. You can imagine the pain people are going through right now. People have borrowed to build these houses. He is a saboteur of this country,” Moyo added.

However, an unidentified female voice of MP interjected the opposition MP from the background shouted; “Who are you? Stupid! Unotaura zvokupenga. Akavakirei pasiripo? (You are crazy. Why would someone build a house on an undesignated place?”

On Tuesday, the demolitions continued affecting hundreds of informal traders in the densely populated suburb of Glen View in Harare.

However, the demolitions continue despite pleas by senior Zanu PF officials, secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, and Local Government Minister July Moyo that the destruction of properties should be stopped with immediate effect as it was “insensitive and inhuman”.

Meanwhile, the MDC Alliance has said the on-going demolitions are; “callous and anti-poor”.

“The demolitions are callous and anti-poor. The MDC Alliance has consistently opposed this (Operation) Murambatsvina-style cruelty,” the opposition party said in a statement Tuesday.

“Contrary to (Monday’s) lies by Zanu PF, the demolitions continue. Tafadzwa Muguti, Oliver Chidawu have ordered the demolition of Glen View 8 complex.”

Muguti is the Harare Metropolitan coordinator and Chidawu is the Harare Provincial Minister.