100 Masvingo SMEs face eviction

Walter Mswazie Herald Correspondent
More than 100 informal business operators across Masvingo city face eviction, amid reports they are illegally occupying council land. Council recently announced plans to clamp down on informal business operators who illegally set up structures as the city seeks to curb the mushrooming of illegal structures and fix revenue leakages. Most informal businesses in Masvingo, particularly in the industrial area, are reportedly operating illegally and council wants them to close shop and regularise their operations to beef up its revenue coffers.

The city’s mayor councillor Hubert Fidze yesterday said his council was concerned by the increasing proliferation of unregistered informal businesses.

He said council was not against operation of small businesses, but wanted strict adherence to its by-laws.

“As much as we want investment in the city, all businesses, whether formal or informal, should not illegally use our land,” said Clr Fidze.

“We have a problem of informal businesses which are operating on land that has not been allocated to them.

“Right now, there are over 100 informal businesses illegally operating on council land without paying anything.

“We are saying council will soon descend on them and flush them out because we do not condone lawlessness.

“We want all of them to regularise their businesses so that they pay something to our coffers to enable us to improve service delivery in our city.”

Clr Fidze said the impending property survey would help his council flush out illegally-run businesses.

Masvingo city recently announced plans to embark on a property survey to create a data base for all firms operating in the country’s oldest town, to easily follow up on payments of rates.

The property survey is being done with the help of Masvingo Polytechnic.

According to a recent full council meeting statement, city officials expressed serious concern over the continued mushrooming of illegal informal businesses operating from its land.

Council instructed city engineer Mr Tawanda Gozo to deal with the matter of illegal informal businesses in terms of the city’s development control by-laws.