News / National
10 city high rise buildings condemned
27 Aug 2012 at 02:50hrs | Views
Several high-rise buildings in central Harare have been condemned as unsafe or unfit for human use by the Harare fire and city health departments.
The departments say the buildings do not meet health and fire safety standards.
The buildings, the departments say, violate several city by-laws posing a danger to occupants and the general public.
The condemned buildings are Robin House, Dublin House, Daventry House, Stewart and Lloyds, Bush House, Roslin House, Msasa House, Mahachi Quardum Building, Winston House and Vivandelphi Court, a flats complex in Eastlea.
Most of the properties are high rise buildings and house more than 800 business tenants each.
The departments also came out strong against some buildings that have been renovated to accommodate restaurants and clothing shops.
This has also been blamed for the increase in accidental fires that have gutted shops in the CBD of Harare.
A furniture shop was recently razed by a fire where property worth thousands of United States dollars was burnt to ashes.
Informal traders also lost their wares when a fire broke out at a building in Belvedere.
Last week a restaurant was also gutted by fire suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault.
Fire Brigade Divisional Officer Mr Mark Kutyauripo said some of the buildings were shut during Operation Murambatsvina.
"They were, however, reopened without compliance and are still a high risk."
He said the fires at Matemba Wholesalers in Cameron Street and Harare Consolidated House and also Charter Road were due to overcrowding.
He said there was also a severe shortage of resources in the department.
"This has affected our efforts to adequately carry out fire safety inspections on all buildings, leading to illegal activities such as change of building use without approved plans," he said.
The non-compliant buildings, he said, were condemned for failing to meet the required fire safety and health standards.
The requirements include ventilation systems and exit or emergency doors or escape routes in the event of a fire.
Mr Kutyauripo said the Fire Brigade relies on the Metropolitan Police and ZRP for enforcement of the by-laws, as they are not a law enforcement organisation.
"For example the Fire Brigade is empowered by the Fire Safety by-laws to recommend closure of unsafe buildings and illegal operations that endanger people's lives but it is the law enforcement organisations that implement the closure," Mr Kutyauripo said.
The department, he said, had been severely affected by limited resources, transport challenges and manpower shortages.
The Harare Fire Department is not computerised making it difficult to quickly identify areas of concern.
City spokesperson Mr Lesley Gwindi also condemned the illegal subdivisions. He said they were unlawful and those in breach of city by-laws would be shut forthwith.
"What they are doing is illegal as they have specific licences. They are all in violation of city by laws," he said.
Mr Gwindi said council has an operation to close down all errant businesses in the city.
"We carry our operations and close down. But we are facing enforcement challenges because of lawlessness in the city.
"That is the case we have. It is the form of the economy. There is a rampant opening of businesses anywhere and everywhere," he said.
Investigations by The Herald established that most of these buildings are used by overcrowded traders who deal in clothes, mobile phones, dressmaking, restaurants and hair saloons among other things.
Proprietors target informal businesses that are competing for space and are not worried about the standards at the buildings.
A fire expert who refused to be named said some of the high rise buildings were old, posing danger to the general public.
"These buildings are a ticking time bomb. In the event of such an accident as a fire no one will survive.
"Some of the buildings were condemned in 2009, but they defy authorities and continue to operate."
He said some proprietors are actually sitting on letters ordering their buildings to be closed.
"The situation is dire, but most have not complied and continue to defy authorities," he said.
He said some of the dangerous buildings have certificates to operate that were issued some by the Town Planning department, Fire Brigade as well as the City Health department.
He, however, accused council officials of granting licenses without thorough inspection of the businesses.
"The Fire Brigade and the Town Planning Department should be responsible for licensing of shops as they are the major stakeholders who look at a structure from foundation to roof level whereas the City Health only look at ventilation, cleanliness, toilets and kitchen," he said.
The Fire Brigade and Town Planning check on the quality of material used during construction, escape routes, lighting, ventilation, the integrity of a building, quality of engineering approved through the Building Inspectorate and Engineering Section.
A town-planning expert said most of the subdivisions had grossly violated city by laws.
"If a shop, for example, has 10 display windows they are all turned into shops.
"Display windows are there only for displaying commodities but now they are being converted and used as shops."
He also blamed corruption in the issuance of licences calling for thorough investigations into the activities.
The departments say the buildings do not meet health and fire safety standards.
The buildings, the departments say, violate several city by-laws posing a danger to occupants and the general public.
The condemned buildings are Robin House, Dublin House, Daventry House, Stewart and Lloyds, Bush House, Roslin House, Msasa House, Mahachi Quardum Building, Winston House and Vivandelphi Court, a flats complex in Eastlea.
Most of the properties are high rise buildings and house more than 800 business tenants each.
The departments also came out strong against some buildings that have been renovated to accommodate restaurants and clothing shops.
This has also been blamed for the increase in accidental fires that have gutted shops in the CBD of Harare.
A furniture shop was recently razed by a fire where property worth thousands of United States dollars was burnt to ashes.
Informal traders also lost their wares when a fire broke out at a building in Belvedere.
Last week a restaurant was also gutted by fire suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault.
Fire Brigade Divisional Officer Mr Mark Kutyauripo said some of the buildings were shut during Operation Murambatsvina.
"They were, however, reopened without compliance and are still a high risk."
He said the fires at Matemba Wholesalers in Cameron Street and Harare Consolidated House and also Charter Road were due to overcrowding.
He said there was also a severe shortage of resources in the department.
"This has affected our efforts to adequately carry out fire safety inspections on all buildings, leading to illegal activities such as change of building use without approved plans," he said.
The non-compliant buildings, he said, were condemned for failing to meet the required fire safety and health standards.
The requirements include ventilation systems and exit or emergency doors or escape routes in the event of a fire.
Mr Kutyauripo said the Fire Brigade relies on the Metropolitan Police and ZRP for enforcement of the by-laws, as they are not a law enforcement organisation.
"For example the Fire Brigade is empowered by the Fire Safety by-laws to recommend closure of unsafe buildings and illegal operations that endanger people's lives but it is the law enforcement organisations that implement the closure," Mr Kutyauripo said.
The department, he said, had been severely affected by limited resources, transport challenges and manpower shortages.
City spokesperson Mr Lesley Gwindi also condemned the illegal subdivisions. He said they were unlawful and those in breach of city by-laws would be shut forthwith.
"What they are doing is illegal as they have specific licences. They are all in violation of city by laws," he said.
Mr Gwindi said council has an operation to close down all errant businesses in the city.
"We carry our operations and close down. But we are facing enforcement challenges because of lawlessness in the city.
"That is the case we have. It is the form of the economy. There is a rampant opening of businesses anywhere and everywhere," he said.
Investigations by The Herald established that most of these buildings are used by overcrowded traders who deal in clothes, mobile phones, dressmaking, restaurants and hair saloons among other things.
Proprietors target informal businesses that are competing for space and are not worried about the standards at the buildings.
A fire expert who refused to be named said some of the high rise buildings were old, posing danger to the general public.
"These buildings are a ticking time bomb. In the event of such an accident as a fire no one will survive.
"Some of the buildings were condemned in 2009, but they defy authorities and continue to operate."
He said some proprietors are actually sitting on letters ordering their buildings to be closed.
"The situation is dire, but most have not complied and continue to defy authorities," he said.
He said some of the dangerous buildings have certificates to operate that were issued some by the Town Planning department, Fire Brigade as well as the City Health department.
He, however, accused council officials of granting licenses without thorough inspection of the businesses.
"The Fire Brigade and the Town Planning Department should be responsible for licensing of shops as they are the major stakeholders who look at a structure from foundation to roof level whereas the City Health only look at ventilation, cleanliness, toilets and kitchen," he said.
The Fire Brigade and Town Planning check on the quality of material used during construction, escape routes, lighting, ventilation, the integrity of a building, quality of engineering approved through the Building Inspectorate and Engineering Section.
A town-planning expert said most of the subdivisions had grossly violated city by laws.
"If a shop, for example, has 10 display windows they are all turned into shops.
"Display windows are there only for displaying commodities but now they are being converted and used as shops."
He also blamed corruption in the issuance of licences calling for thorough investigations into the activities.
Source - TH
