adminIvan Zhakata Herald Correspondent
HARARE residents have engaged law enforcement agents and council to help in restoring order at the Newlands Shopping Centre, where merrymakers have reportedly become a public nuisance.
This came out at a residents meeting held recently by Newlands Residents Association at Newlands Country Club in Harare.
The meeting was attended by Ward 8 Councillor Mr Keith Charumbira and City of Harare’s Environmental Committee vice chairperson, Clr Mr Stewart Mutizwa.
Representatives from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the business sector also attended.
Minutes of the meeting indicate that Newlands, Chisipite, Kamfinsa and Runiville shopping centres were the most affected.
Newlands Shopping Centre has become one of the popular nightspots in Harare with a lot of illegal activities happening there. But there are also legal licensed bars and nightclubs at the shopping centre and close by to the south.
Residents reckon there are enough legal and regulated facilities that illegal drinkers have no excuses. Licensed premises have proper toilet facilities and are obliged to be orderly. The illegal drinking has no such rules and facilities.
Clr Charumbira agreed that Newlands Shopping centre had been turned into a serious crime zone and acknowledged there was need to take action against illegal drinking activities that have reduced the status of the shopping centre.
According to the minutes, Clr Mutizwa expressed concern over the developments at Newlands Shopping Centre.
“Newlands, Chisipite, Kamfinsa and Runiville shopping centres are all experiencing problems of people who have become a public nuisance.
“We need to get rid of idle people who hang around these shopping centres. We engaged the police but up to now not much has changed.
“Some people have turned their cars into mobile bedrooms. What we need to establish is that these people are a public nuisance and then we can get an enforcement order to close down the bars operating at the shopping centre. He stated that the property values are affected by the nuisance encountered at the shopping centre as a result of it becoming unsightly and with unbecoming behaviour of visitors to the shopping centre,” said Clr Mutizwa.
The minutes also showed that residents who attended the meeting expressed concern over the state of affairs at Newlands Shopping Centre and said; “they do not shop there anymore because of the filthy state and the inability to find a parking spot”.
It was also reported that some tenants at the shopping centre had since left as standards continue to decline.
A representative from the ZRP suggested the setting up of a police base at the Newlands Shopping Centre saying this would largely assist in maintaining order.
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