GOVERNMENT says it has no plans to desecrate and destroy graves in Mt Hampden area to pave way for the ambitious multimillion dollar Cyber City project.
Online reports said graves were being destroyed to speed up the project.
“For the record, all ancient graves are protected by both National Museums and Monument of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 25:11] and recent graves by the Cemeteries Act [Chapter 5:04],” the Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage ministry said in a statement.
“The two Acts complement each other legally in the protection of such ancestral places of value. The Cemeteries Act [Chapter 5:04] section 26 stamps the protection of tombs or monuments.”
The ministry said it would stand guided by relevant legislation and traditional customs on the treatment of the graves.
“The majority of graves are known and their relatives have come forward to identify them. The ministry, through the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, continues to widely consult with other stakeholders,” the ministry said.
“As this project is being undertaken, developers have been made aware that should any grave be discovered during construction, the developer should stop and engage an archaeologist or curator of cemeteries who is qualified to categorise the graves and advise on the appropriate action such as exhumation to pave way for works to continue.”
The futuristic Cyber City is projected to anchor what authorities view as the new capital city or the New Harare.
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Estimated at US$500 million, Zimbabwe Cyber City is being developed by United Arab Emirates-based industrial conglomerate Mulk International.
Other government offices will also be built in Mt Hampden to make the planned “New Harare” the seat of power, according to government officials.
The project, covering 2,5 million square metres of land, will include 250 townhouses, more than 80 luxury villas, a number of apartment blocks, high-tech office facilities, a 15-storey commercial tower, and landscaped gardens — all within a gated community.
