In
a
statement
issued
on
9
May
2026,
Minister
Evelyn
Ndlovu
said
the
situation
had
been
brought
under
control
through
a
“Whole
of
Government
and
Whole
of
Society
Approach”.
She
said
the
coordinated
effort
had
improved
policy
coherence
and
strengthened
collaboration
between
institutions
to
enforce
environmental
regulations.
“Unsanctioned
construction
is
now
under
control
and
mechanisms
have
been
put
in
place
to
avoid
a
recurrence,”
the
statement
read.
“Monitoring
of
the
area
will
continue.”
The
Ministry
warned
that
government
institutions
will
not
hesitate
to
act
against
anyone
breaching
environmental
laws.
It
stressed
that
wetlands
like
Monavale
Vlei
are
critical
ecosystems
that
provide
water,
help
control
floods,
and
offer
habitat
for
various
species.
The
public,
developers
and
institutions
have
been
urged
to
respect
wetland
regulations
and
support
conservation
efforts.
“Wetlands
are
key
to
humanity,”
Ndlovu
said,
calling
for
“environmental
stewardship
in
a
nature-positive
manner.”
The
crackdown
comes
after
environmental
lawyer
and
activist
Doug
Coltart
publicly
raised
the
alarm
over
ongoing
construction
on
the
protected
wetland.
Reports
had
also
emerged
that
portions
of
Monavale
Vlei
were
being
parcelled
out
as
residential
stands
for
26
Members
of
Parliament,
sparking
criticism
from
conservation
groups
and
residents.
Monavale
Vlei
is
one
of
Harare’s
remaining
urban
wetlands
and
has
faced
repeated
pressure
from
illegal
construction
in
recent
years.
Post
published
in:
Environment