Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti has highlighted the escalating housing crisis in the Harare metropolitan area during a national economic consultative forum.

Speaking at the forum, Muguti revealed alarming statistics indicating that the region is grappling with approximately 60,000 illegal homes, a significant increase from 56,200 three years ago.

"In Chitungwiza alone, I think we're sitting around 20-something thousand illegal homes so, if you have 60,000 illegal homes, it means you have 60,000 illegal communities," he said.

Muguti noted that these illegal homes lack proper addresses, making it difficult to collect taxes and provide essential services.

"So, we have 60,000 homes in the province with no address So, we have 60,000 homes in the province with no address A good example is Harare South," he said.

He added that at times, local authorities are forced to collect the taxes from people who are not even paying their rates and taxes

"Once those people get sick from cholera, it is the same local authority that now needs to control the cholera pandemic," he said.

Muguti said he has hopes that the dialogues will help to curb the illegal housing crisis

"I'm hoping this dialogue will really discuss this and see how to fix it. Because the moment you say we'll regularize them you are also encouraging the land baron to go ahead and create more thousand illegal homes," he said.

Muguti also raised concerns about the role of local councilors in exacerbating the situation

"We have challenges where even councilors themselves, Chitungwiza and Harare, especially Chitungwiza, we have councilors who are now leading the invasions, let's regularise the guys who are buying the resorts. Because he led the invasion and sold the stands," he said.