News / National
Harare City Council to demolish illegal structures
28 Apr 2013 at 04:14hrs | Views
Harare City Council will soon start demolishing illegal structures as well as shutting down condemned buildings that are in the central business district, council spokesman Mr Leslie Gwindi has revealed.
"We have given the owners of these buildings enough time to ensure that they comply with the city's by-laws. However, despite several warnings, it appears that some of them are unwilling to do the right thing.
"That leaves us with very little choice but to go ahead and demolish the illegal structures," said Mr Gwindi in an interview.
Turning to the fate of some condemned buildings that are in the CBD, Mr Gwindi reiterated that officials at Town House remain ready to engage their owners with a view to finding an amicable solution.
Some of the condemned buildings are Daventry House, Robin House, Dublin House, Stewards & Lloyds, Bush House, Roslin House, Winston House, Msasa House, Mahachi Quardum Building and Vivandelphi Court.
It is also believed that 40 percent of buildings in the CBD, mostly those in the Kopje area, have not complied with the city's health and fire standards as some of them have been renovated to accommodate businesses such as restaurants without proper procedures being followed.
Meanwhile, small to medium-scale businesspeople who operate from some of the condemned buildings have called on council to be "considerate" as they stand to lose out the most when the buildings are shut down.
Ms Mary Chakabva, a dressmaker who operates from Dublin House, proposed that owners of the condemned buildings and council officials have an indaba to iron out their differences.
"The owners of these buildings appreciate that there is need to rehabilitate them so that they meet council regulations, but they argue that they can only do it in phases while council seems to be pushing for a one-off programme.
As indigenous businesspeople we stand to lose out the most in the event that these buildings are shut down, so we urge our landlords and council to sit down and come up with a situation that addresses the concerns of all the parties involved in this matter," she said. Over the past few months illegal structures have sprouted in residential suburbs such as Mbare, Kuwadzana and Dzivaresekwa.
"Some of these structures that are being built in residential areas interfere with our water and sewer pipes and such a development should not be encouraged hence action will soon be taken," said Mr Gwindi.
"We have given the owners of these buildings enough time to ensure that they comply with the city's by-laws. However, despite several warnings, it appears that some of them are unwilling to do the right thing.
"That leaves us with very little choice but to go ahead and demolish the illegal structures," said Mr Gwindi in an interview.
Turning to the fate of some condemned buildings that are in the CBD, Mr Gwindi reiterated that officials at Town House remain ready to engage their owners with a view to finding an amicable solution.
Some of the condemned buildings are Daventry House, Robin House, Dublin House, Stewards & Lloyds, Bush House, Roslin House, Winston House, Msasa House, Mahachi Quardum Building and Vivandelphi Court.
It is also believed that 40 percent of buildings in the CBD, mostly those in the Kopje area, have not complied with the city's health and fire standards as some of them have been renovated to accommodate businesses such as restaurants without proper procedures being followed.
Ms Mary Chakabva, a dressmaker who operates from Dublin House, proposed that owners of the condemned buildings and council officials have an indaba to iron out their differences.
"The owners of these buildings appreciate that there is need to rehabilitate them so that they meet council regulations, but they argue that they can only do it in phases while council seems to be pushing for a one-off programme.
As indigenous businesspeople we stand to lose out the most in the event that these buildings are shut down, so we urge our landlords and council to sit down and come up with a situation that addresses the concerns of all the parties involved in this matter," she said. Over the past few months illegal structures have sprouted in residential suburbs such as Mbare, Kuwadzana and Dzivaresekwa.
"Some of these structures that are being built in residential areas interfere with our water and sewer pipes and such a development should not be encouraged hence action will soon be taken," said Mr Gwindi.
Source - SM
