Property owners given 2 Weeks to fix buildings ahead of Zanu-PF event

The Municipality of Chinhoyi has given property owners and occupants just two weeks to repair, refurbish and repaint dilapidated and unsightly buildings across the city, in a move that has sparked accusations that the local authority is rushing to spruce up the town ahead of the Zanu-PF annual conference in October.

The directive targets properties in the central business district and surrounding areas, with particular focus on buildings along major roads including Magamba Way, Commercial Street and Midway Street — key routes leading to Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT), where the ruling party's conference is scheduled to take place.

The municipality cited Section 49(1) of Chapter 2 of the Model Building By-laws (1977), which prohibits property owners from allowing buildings to become a danger to public health or an "unsightly" disfigurement to the neighbourhood.

According to a notice signed by town clerk Biriati Tasarira, property owners have 14 days from the date of the notice to comply, failing which the council may institute legal proceedings.

The short deadline has angered some ratepayers, who accused the municipality of using its by-laws to quickly improve the city's appearance ahead of the arrival of senior ruling party officials while shifting the financial burden onto property owners.

One property owner, who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation, questioned the urgency of the directive.

"What is the hurry? A two-week ultimatum is impossibly short; it is clearly just to please Zanu-PF politicians coming here for a few days," the property owner said.

Another landlord said the timeframe was unrealistic given the length of time some properties had allegedly remained in poor condition.

"The notice is far too short. If the council has failed to enforce these standards for over 10 years, how can they realistically expect property owners to execute full refurbishments in two weeks?" he asked.

Chinhoyi mayor Owen Charuza, however, rejected claims that the campaign was politically motivated, saying the clean-up formed part of the council's 2026 plans.

"It is purely a coincidence," Charuza said. "This was already part of our 2026 action plan and, if anything, it was long overdue. If you ask the property owners, many received notices long before Zanu-PF announced their conference dates in Chinhoyi."

Some residents said they were less concerned about the political motivations behind the campaign and welcomed the renewed focus on the city's deteriorating infrastructure.

"We don't care about the politics behind it," said resident Jennifer Panganayi. "All we care about is that something is finally being done after years of neglect. If it takes a Zanu-PF conference to get our roads rehabilitated and buildings fixed, then they should hold the conference in Chinhoyi every year."

The clean-up drive comes amid other disruptions linked to preparations for the ruling party's conference.

CUT management recently directed students living in on-campus hostels to vacate their accommodation to make way for Zanu-PF delegates attending the conference.

According to the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) CUT Chapter, even fully paid-up students, including final-year students working on dissertations, have been relocated to Chinhoyi High School at short notice.

The developments have intensified debate over whether residents and students are bearing the cost of preparations for a major political gathering, while the municipality maintains that its building enforcement campaign is part of its routine 2026 plans.