Yesterday in an interview, Michael Chideme, City of Harare Corporate Communications manager said the people of Mbare are actually happy with the ongoing demolition of structures in the neighborhood.
Mr. Chideme also said the City of Harare is removing illegal tuckshops without the Council’s approval.
“The people who stay in Mbare, are actually happy with this process because it’s making their suburb breath again,” Chideme said.
“It’s creating space for them that had been invaded and some of the people who were doing these activities are also responsible for the harassment of the people of Mbare.”
The Communications Manager announced the opening of shops along Simon Mazorodze Road for established businesses by the City of Harare.
Mr. Chidembe also maintained that there are vacant shops in Mbare. As well as, High Glen and across the city’s shopping center.
“If you go to West Gate Shopping Centre the uptake is even very low but we have people who are setting up shops on driveways on walkways on other shop entrances so they have to just go where it is permissible to trade from,”
“We have always given these people notices to vacate and sometimes they thought we were not serious with what we were saying but now the time has come for them to move away from the walkways, the driveways and go to designated sites.”
The manager further said it is the responsibility of the residents to say what they want.
“The people of Mbare have always been complaining about the menace of noise, the menace of dirty that has been brought up by the illegal structures by the illegal operators,” Chideme said.
