SHOPS, VENDING STALLS DEMOLISHED

MAZOWE Rural District Council (MRDC) has embarked on a clean-up exercise which has seen some shops and vending stalls being demolished in Glendale.

The MRDC had given all the business owners and informal traders a 30-day ultimatum to remove their structures but they turned a deaf ear.

Council Chairperson for Mazowe Rural Council, John Mudzonga, said they demolished the business stalls in a bid to maintain order and sanity as they have applied for a town status to the Ministry of Local Government.

“The business owners who have been affected by this exercise had allocated land amongst themselves illegally so we had to destroy the structures and we want to re-peg those business stands using proper channels from the council.

“We have also applied for a town status so this clean-up blitz will help us to transform our area into a world-class town”, Mudzonga has said.

The demolition exercise has come at time the country is battling a cholera outbreak and the development can further improve best hygienic practices as it gets rid of vendors selling cooked food as well as reduce rubbish dumps.

However, some residents who have been affected by the demolitions, claimed they were operating their businesses under leases obtained from the council and they were shocked by the action which was taken by the council.

“The council has not been fair to some of us because we were gives leases by the council to operate on this piece of land and the lease permits us to make an extension of our buildings if we have the resources.

“After all, they did not give us notices that they were coming to demolish and we were surprised when we saw a bulldozer coming to destroy our shops”, said Ngoni Chimumba.

Another resident said:

“Council ordered these people to move from this place but they refused so they should not blame the council because they are just doing their work.

“People should shun buying land from land barons.”