Chipinge council demolish illegal structure

CHIPINGE Town Council is taking advantage of the national lockdown to demolish all illegal structures in the town.

However, this development comes at a time when the local authority had just collected rates for the second quarter of the year from the affected informal traders.

Over 1 000 informal traders have been affected by the operation.

Chipinge Town chairperson, Councillor Zivanai Nyakuchena said the demolitions of the illegal structures is above board.

“The town council’s decision is above board. Actually, the directive was made at the beginning of March, but we decided to shelve it due to the prevailing economic situation,” he said.

In a letter to all local authorities, which this paper has in possession, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Mr Zvinechimwe Churu said local authorities should demolish illegal structures and renovate informal trading places so that the areas will be conducive for business when it resumes.

“At the 19th Cabinet meeting, it was resolved that local authorities should take advantage of the national lockdown to clean-up and renovate Small and Medium Enterprises and informal traders’ workplaces so that these areas will be conducive to operate when business re-open.

“Please make every effort to comply with the resolution. To this end, workers in this area will be classified as essential service and should be provided with the necessary protective clothing and equipment whilst they undertake their duties,” reads part of the letter.

However, some of the affected SMEs’ players said the local authority should have consulted them first.

Mr Hazvinandava Bingepinge, who is into upholstering, said they developed the structures after getting the green light from the same council which is now demolishing them.

“The council allocated us land to operate, but now they are saying our operations are illegal. They allowed us to pay rates for this quarter when they knew that they will demolish our structures. This is not fair,” he said.

— Picture: Tinai Nyadzayo. Vice President Dr Costantino Chiwenga is flanked by the Taguta family as he hands over 194 heifers to the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba, during the launch of the Presidential Heifer Pass-on Programme at Taguta Farm in Middle Sabi, Chipinge, early this week.