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Mangaliso Kabulika
HARARE City Council is adamant that it inspects buildings in the CBD for occupational hazards every year.
Harare has been hit by a series of fires in recent months, with some destroying entire buildings.
The most recent was Sunday night’s fire which gutted Gilchrist & Cooksey building along Speke Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way, next to the Footbridge, destroying goods worth thousands of dollars.
It left hundreds of people jobless.
Callans Building in Cameron Street suffered significant damage when a fire broke out and thousands of dollars worth of goods were burnt to ashes in October last year. Harare City Council spokesperson, Stanley Gama, said the Fire Brigade had conducted fire and safety inspections in the CBD from January 1.
“This was done in accordance with fire By-law 1968 Section 12.
“However, poor maintenance of buildings, illegal electrical connections and reckless behaviour by occupants and some building owners are leading causes of these fires,” said Gama.
He urged building owners to ensure that their properties are safe and meet all safety standards.
Council, he said, will also crackdown on illegal structures and buildings that do not meet safety standards.
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge