Online Reporter
Municipal Correspondent
Harare City Council yesterday demolished structures at Mabelreign Shopping Centre, citing violations of designated land use and encroachment on parking space.
Harare Mayor, Councillor Jacob Mafume, defended the move, saying the structures could not be allowed to remain on land reserved for parking vehicles.
He stressed that council was enforcing planning regulations to restore order at the shopping centre.
“The structures at Mabelreign Shopping Centre were not authorised and had to be demolished because the land is meant for parking,” said Cllr Mafume.
He added that the local authority would not permit the conversion of critical urban spaces into informal trading zones, noting that such actions undermined proper city planning and inconvenienced motorists.
Cllr Mafume reiterated that council’s priority was to ensure compliance with approved layouts, warning that any developments outside designated plans would be removed.
However, documents seen by The Sunday Mail indicate that the City of Harare had previously considered a proposal relating to the same site.
A report titled Report No. 169 DHCS 2026, prepared by the Department of Housing and Community Services and dated January 26, 2026, outlined plans for a “temporary modern mixed-use market facility” at Mabelreign Shopping Centre.
According to the document, council officials had recommended that a private company, Cartin Mark Up Investments, trading as Arise & Shine, be allowed to renovate the existing people’s market and construct additional temporary trading facilities.
The report states that once completed, the stalls would be handed over to council, with allocations administered by the Department of Housing and Community Services under the city’s Small to Medium Enterprises policy.
