News / National
Another Murambatsvina on the cards
14 May 2012 at 05:14hrs | Views
HARARE City council will soon demolish all illegal structures mushrooming in some suburbs and the city centre.
The city's public relations manager Mr Leslie Gwindi said they were going to pull down all illegal structures. "It is our mandate as council to make sure that the city is clean. We are going to take action very soon."
He said council would not consider what kind of business was being conducted in those structures.
Most illegal structures in Harare are small shops and are found on the outskirts of the city.
"Especially in the city centre there is really a mess. The outlook of the city is now different," said Mr Gwindi.
The city fathers, he said, understood the economic hardships people were facing, but that was not a licence to operate illegally.
"They know that their structures are not supposed to be there. What is illegal is illegal, we have to do what is right for the city," he said.
Most illegal structures resurfaced after the introduction of multiple currencies as people started operating small businesses.
The structures are mostly made of plastics and other cheap materials. These structures are not different from illegal structures demolished during Operation Murambatsvina.
The structures are hair salons, tuckshops and backyard houses.
However, most of the owners feel the city fathers are being harsh on them.
"It is very disturbing to note that the council has decided to have our business destroyed.
"This is where our families get their food from," said Mr Arnold Marime, a tuckshop owner in Mufakose.
"If we go to them they will not give us any land to do our business but you hear them saying they want to demolish our source of income.
"We are businesspeople and the council should know that," said a salon owner identified as Mamoyo in Kuwadzana.
The city's public relations manager Mr Leslie Gwindi said they were going to pull down all illegal structures. "It is our mandate as council to make sure that the city is clean. We are going to take action very soon."
He said council would not consider what kind of business was being conducted in those structures.
Most illegal structures in Harare are small shops and are found on the outskirts of the city.
"Especially in the city centre there is really a mess. The outlook of the city is now different," said Mr Gwindi.
The city fathers, he said, understood the economic hardships people were facing, but that was not a licence to operate illegally.
"They know that their structures are not supposed to be there. What is illegal is illegal, we have to do what is right for the city," he said.
Most illegal structures resurfaced after the introduction of multiple currencies as people started operating small businesses.
The structures are mostly made of plastics and other cheap materials. These structures are not different from illegal structures demolished during Operation Murambatsvina.
The structures are hair salons, tuckshops and backyard houses.
However, most of the owners feel the city fathers are being harsh on them.
"It is very disturbing to note that the council has decided to have our business destroyed.
"This is where our families get their food from," said Mr Arnold Marime, a tuckshop owner in Mufakose.
"If we go to them they will not give us any land to do our business but you hear them saying they want to demolish our source of income.
"We are businesspeople and the council should know that," said a salon owner identified as Mamoyo in Kuwadzana.
Source - TH
