Zivanai Dhewa
Businesses located and operating along the road servitudes have been given notice to remove and relocated their businesses to designated business areas and not along road servitudes. They have been given up to Sunday 7 June 2021.
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works represented by its Provincial Development Coordinator, T. Muguti, who spoke through a press statement said, “The Provincial Development Directorate for the Government in Harare Metropolitan Province has noted with great concern the rising number of unregistered informal traders of furniture, bricks, sand, quarry stones and car sales businesses operating along road servitudes.
“We hereby inform all occupants of road servitudes that they have until Sunday the 7th of June 2021 to vacate and remove all their property, vehicles and destroy any infrastructure erected on road servitudes,” read the press statement.
Stating the country’s law in relation to trading on roads and in restricted areas, Muguti said, “The Roads Act clearly states in Section 48 (Trading on roads and in restricted areas) (1) (2) that it is prohibited to trade on roads unless there is written permission from the Road Authority.
“It is also stated in sub-section (3) that any person who does so shall be guilty of a level eight offence subject to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding two (2) years,” he said.
Muguti further roped in other Ministry Departments, such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission to assist in putting a stop to this development by weeding corrupt elements that are authorising illegal business developments.
“”Furthermore we shall be requesting the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission ZACC to immediately investigate all council officials who issued irregular authorisations for car sales and businesses to trade in road servitudes.
“We encourage people not to be ignorant but to actually know and respect the law including council by-laws. We do not need council resolutions as Government to enforce the law, we expect councils likewise to enforce all laws of the land within their localities. Harare Metropolitan Province now has a Zero Tolerance policy on lawlessness, corruption and intimidation of officials,” concluded the press statement.
