Harare to close old buildings

Nokuthula Dube

Harare City Council  wants Government to promulgate regulations that will give it the power to shut down dilapidated buildings in the central business district (CBD).

This comes after the council issued a 14-day ultimatum last week requiring all property owners and occupants to improve the condition of their buildings through repairs, refurbishments or repainting.

The council is now seeking Government authorisation to enforce this directive by penalising those who fail to comply.

In an interview, Harare Town Clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango said: “We have written to the Ministry of Local Government concerning the issue, and we are hoping they’ll release an SI (Statutory Instrument) to cement the issue, which will then give us authority to withdraw the building licence for those who are failing to meet the standard.

“If anyone breaches that, we will withdraw trading licences or close those buildings.”

In terms of Section 49 of the Model Building By-Laws (1977), property owners should not allow any building on their premises to become a danger to the health of its occupants, be a source of unpleasant fumes, smoke or odours, and an unsightly disfigurement to the neighbourhood.

“The notice we gave was that some can start working on their buildings immediately; failure to do so we can withdraw their licences,” said Eng Chisango. “The other option to the owners of those buildings is that they can actually give us their plans on what they want to do and when.

“We are targeting the buildings on the streets which we released.”

Council cited buildings located along 11 major city roads: Robert Mugabe Road; Jason Moyo Avenue; Leopold Takawira Street; Samora Machel Avenue; Julius Nyerere Way; First Street; Seventh Street; Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Road; Fidel Castro Road; Airport Road and Seke Road.

“We are doing thorough inspections and we are working with the police,” said Eng Chisango. “We have noticed now that more than 20 or so people can be operating under one building. Now, the facilities are no longer adequate for the people in that building.

“We are doing that for safety issues. And there is this tendency where those people take their wares and display them outside. On that, we are working together with the police to remove vendors on the street.”