Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has turned the heat on dodgy businesses and residents, issuing 90 intimations and 67 tickets for offences ranging from illegal restaurants and unlicensed bottle stores to filthy food premises and uncontrolled dogs.
The latest council report reveals the extent of the crackdown, with businesses across the city being caught operating without licences and registration certificates, while some food outlets were accused of breaching basic hygiene requirements.
Among those slapped with intimations was Woodville Sports Club, which council said operated a sports bar without a liquor licence and also ran a shop without a licence.
The council also cited Parkview Sports Club for open dumping, while a city resident identified as Innocent Ndlovu was cited for keeping chickens without council approval and for open dumping.
In Northend, Love ABC was cited for operating an illegal restaurant, while Northend Bottle Store was found trading without a liquor licence.
The council also went after residents for keeping dogs outside the law.
A resident identified as M Nzima of New Romney Park was cited for an unlicensed dog and having no signage, while J Raja of Sauerstown was cited for keeping an unlicensed dog.
In Nothlynne, S Moomsammy was cited for keeping an unvaccinated and unlicensed dog without a perimeter fence.
The council report also lists Mujamela Sandasi (Pvt) Ltd in Mzilikazi for operating an unregistered butchery.
Vukani Trading in Makokoba was cited for operating a shop without a valid licence, while Liberty Ncube in Nguboyenja was cited for operating a lodge without a valid registration certificate.
The crackdown did not spare car dealers. Several businesses, including Integrity Motors, Car Sale, Life Car Sales, Pick and Drive, Speed Car Sales, Reemas Commission Car Sales, Remest
Commission Car Sales, Heart Car Sales and Embanoe Logistics, were cited for selling vehicles without licences.
At Evergood, located along Fort Street in the Central Business District, inspectors found chicken being sold from a bookshop.
Further violations were recorded in the western suburbs.
Mungaas Butchery in Lobengula Extension was cited for operating without a registration certificate, while H Mart Butchery in New Magwegwe was cited for operating without a trading licence and registration certificate, with a food handler also allegedly not having undergone a medical examination.
Afri Meats in Magwegwe North was similarly cited for operating without a trading licence and registration certificate, with a food handler allegedly not medically examined.
Council also cited Athens Supermarket in Pumula South over the absence of a wash-hand basin in its butchery. The report shows that enforcement extended beyond businesses to schools and childcare facilities. New Turn Academy, Bright Horazone and Unique ECD Learning Centre were cited as unregistered schools, while Heart of Love Mother Care was cited for operating an unregistered nursery/daycare.
The council also issued tickets to a further 67 businesses and individuals.
The tickets included offences such as operating shops without valid licences, running butcheries without registration certificates, trading from illegal structures and operating bottle stores without liquor licences.
In one of the food-related cases, Eat LinQ Food Factory was cited for operating without a registration certificate and shop licence, while inspectors also found extraneous materials in its food room and food placed in a manner that posed a contamination risk.
Kosher Meat Market was also cited over hygiene breaches, including unclean crockery, lack of soap at wash-hand basins and extraneous materials in food rooms. The council report further cites
Kusile Butchery in Nkulumane for selling unsatisfactory meat.
Several bottle stores and sports bars were also ticketed for trading without liquor licences, including
Jika Jika Bottle Store, Mabdon Liquor Supplies, Pamuzinda Sports Bar, Ko Movado Bottle Store, Bekezela Sports Bar, The Rock Butchery and Athens Sports Bar.
Council’s enforcement drive also targeted illegal takeaways, gas sellers, general dealers and other businesses operating without the required trading licences.
