Harare Central Business District (CBD) property owners have been warned against partitioning of buildings as it is against city bylaws.
In a statement, Provincial Development Coordinator, Tafadzwa Muguti said property owners should instead renovate their buildings and ensure functional ablution facilities.
“The Provincial Development Directorate for Harare Metropolitan Province has noted with great concern the rising number of illegally partitioned buildings in the Harare Central Business District (CBD) and the need for property owners to maintain the standards required in the city bylaws.
“To this effect the Provincial Development Coordinator supports the City of Harare’s drive to achieve a world class city status by 2025. All property owners are therefore required to immediately renovate their properties, maintain the frontage of their properties, have fully functional clean toilets for their employees, tenants and customers, whilst ensuring that their buildings are accessible by people living with disabilities,” said Muguti
He said the city council will be issuing abatement orders to those who have deserted their properties with the program devolved to local authorities.
“The City of Harare shall be issuing out abatement orders to all property owners who have neglected their buildings which have now become an eye sore. This program will also be decentralized to all local authorities in Harare Metropolitan Province.
“Those in defiance of abatement orders risk having their buildings closed down until the required standards have been met. A world class city status starts with all of us doing our part to maintain a clean, organized, modernized and beautiful city.” he said
Muguti’s warning comes at a time many buildings in the CBD have been partitioned into shopping cubicles selling an assortment of products such as clothes, mobile phones and kitchen ware.
