Informal traders invited demolitions

IF anyone is operating in the informal sector and they are paying their monthly bills to an individual and not to the owners of the land where their operations are situated, then they are as corrupt as the person who gave them that space.

People should not pretend to be ignorant of the law when they know who owns council or State land.

Rates must be paid to the City of Harare and not to individuals from council or political activists.

Space barons are at the forefront of complaining about demolitions yet they have always hidden behind their political parties when council wants to put order in the informal sector.

In the past, former First Lady

Grace Mugabe encouraged people to settle wherever they chose because the country belonged to them.

Lawlessness is against the dictates of urban planning. No politician should override town planning laws.

Some victims are co-conspirators to the prevalence of lawlessness, not victims.

The Harare Residents Trust advocates for orderly allocation of space to people for business on housing.

There is a dilemma where there is conflict between the provision of livelihoods and proper town planning.

Unfortunately, a lot of the bureaucrats and political leaders do not want order, they want lawlessness so that they continue to make money for themselves by fleecing the poor who they charge rentals.

The poor will be trying to eke out an honest living from vending and other informal jobs.

We should question some of the decisions being made on our behalf.

Accepting lawlessness is accepting corruption in the whole system.

Harare Residents Trust