Staff Reporter

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) run Harare City Council (HCC) was yesterday up in arms with shop owners in Harare Central Business District (CBD), demanding operating licenses and collecting bribes along the way.

HCC municipal police stormed Margolis Plazza, Homegate, Shasha mall, Phoenix Mall, Hyper Mall, Miracle Mall, and Century Mall demanding licenses which range from US$600 to US$1000 which many shop operators bemoaned as exorbitant and beyond the reach of many.

The Harare Post spoke to Margaret Chimana who blamed HCC for failing to expedite swift issuance of the licenses.

“The operation is designed to line the pockets of municipal police and their bosses back at the offices. I personally made payments and have the receipts on me, but for some reason, l have not yet been issued with the licence. I explained to the officers my case and they are not prepared to listen to my situation despite phoning council offices in their presence. This is extortion,” thundered Chimana.

Social media is awash with various incidents showing confrontation of the municipal police and staff by most shop operators who feel fleeced and think HCC was being insincere on their plight. A passer- by who identified himself as Manex claimed that operations by HCC were increasingly becoming deliberate machinations to whip up people’s emotions.

“CCC leadership is always blaming Government, but does not provide alternative policies in areas it has influence. This is done to make citizens furious, they know that if they make the life of vendors and shop tenants unbearable, it creates a conducive environment for confrontation against Government,” said Manex.

The development comes on the heels of another skirmish pitying HCC contracted City Park and motorists over exorbitant parking fees and wanton clamping of vehicles in Harare CBD. City Park officials were accused of hiding from motorists to deliberately clamp the vehicle once the owner goes away after giving up on the parking marshals.