By Ruvimbo Muchenje | The NewsHawks
Borrowdale’s leafy calm is under threat, as a controversial office park development has triggered a fierce legal and community backlash, uniting the Trauma Centre Hospital and long-standing residents in a fight to preserve the suburb’s residential character.
The dispute erupted after Condev Property Developers secured a permit from the City of Harare’s director of urban planning to construct an office complex on a two-acre plot that once housed a single family home.
The hospital, trading as Vislink (Private) Limited, and resident Penelope Beattie have filed an urgent High Court application, arguing the project is not only out of place but also a danger to public safety and the well-being of patients and staff at Borrowdale’s Trauma Centre.
Dr. Vivek Solanki, proprietor of the Trauma Centre, says the development threatens to “deteriorate the neighborhood’s quality of life,” citing the risks posed by heavy construction, noise, and disruption mere metres from the hospital’s doors.
“An illegal construction of this scale disrupts the fabric of the community. It disregards the rights of residents and the safety of those who rely on the hospital,” he argued in court papers.
The hospital, operational since 2014, had to invest over US$120,000 to comply with zoning and infrastructure requirements, including a sewer line to Pomona—a stark contrast to what residents see as a disregard for due process in the current project.
Ms. Beattie, a resident near the ‘unwanted’ development echoed the sense of violation:
“This neighbourhood has always been a sanctuary for families. This kind of construction is an invasion. It disregards the character of the area and the needs of its people,” she said.
The permit, issued on April 17, was never served to objectors, leaving the community blindsided as construction equipment rolled in by May. Dr. Solanki described how Condev Property’s public notice in a local paper seemed a mere box-ticking exercise, and attempts to engage the Ministry of Local Government revealed inconsistencies between the signed permit and the plans previously approved. “No one explained why our objections were dismissed. No one addressed our concerns. It felt like a deliberate effort to sideline the community,” he said.
The applicants are challenging the decision as irrational, unreasonable, and made in bad faith—contrary to the Administrative Justice Act. They seek an urgent interdict to halt all development until the High Court can review the city’s actions.
For Borrowdale, the case has become a flashpoint in the battle over unchecked urban expansion, pitting residents and healthcare providers against developers and city officials. As the legal process unfolds, the community’s future hangs in the balance—caught between the promise of progress and the right to a quiet, safe neighbourhood.
