Online Reporter
Dorothy N Sithole
THE Bulawayo City Council has taken over a building in Old Magwegwe that once housed the popular Emasofeni Nightclub after its owners allegedly abandoned the property and disappeared without paying rates for over four years.
The building has reportedly stood deserted since November 2021 and is among several properties that the local authority has moved to take over as part of efforts to deal with derelict and abandoned structures across the city.
According to sources, the owner of the property, Dumisani Wandi, allegedly disappeared following a police raid carried out in the early hours of Monday, 1 November 2021, after authorities reportedly discovered that the premises were hosting an illegal gay party.
Since then, the building has remained abandoned, with no activity taking place at the premises while rates and other municipal obligations allegedly accumulated over the years.
The takeover comes as the local authority intensifies efforts to address growing concerns over abandoned and dilapidated buildings, which council says are becoming health hazards and safe havens for criminal activities.
According to a recent council report, the local authority has, over the past two years, condemned 244 properties in the city as either dilapidated or abandoned and issued renovation notices to their owners, warning of possible enforcement action if repairs are not undertaken promptly.
“Of the 244 properties that were issued with notices, 169 property owners have ignored the notices and have not made any effort to renovate the buildings. Six property owners fully complied with the notices while 69 partially complied,” reads part of the report.
Council said abandoned buildings continue to pose serious public safety concerns, particularly in the city centre and older suburbs where some structures have become structurally unsound.
The report further notes that in 2017, council passed a resolution to demolish a fire-damaged building at the corner of 11th Avenue and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street near Magnet House after it was deemed dangerous to the public.
The building, owned by Nicktrend Investment Services, has remained vacant for years following an inferno that left the structure extensively damaged.
However, despite the council resolution, demolition of the building is yet to take place as the local authority is still awaiting a court order authorising the process.
“The Bulawayo City Council’s inspectorate conducts building inspections in accordance with the Bulawayo (Buildings, Roads and Streets) By-laws of 1971,” the report states.
Council officials said the local authority will continue pursuing owners of abandoned buildings while also exploring legal mechanisms to repossess properties whose owners have failed to meet their obligations.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed that the police were still looking for the owner of Emasofeni Nightclub, Dumisani Wandi.
Bongani Ndlovu