adminInnocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The Sheriff has finally demolished illegal wooden structures built at former city treasurer Mr Misheck Mubvumbi’s Greendale residential property, which was being used as a supermarket under the trade name Caterwise.
Residents in the area had written to council, complaining that the business had become a nuisance.
After council failed to act on its demolition order, residents took the city to court demanding that the city executes its order and High Court Judge Edith Mushore on July 4 ordered the city to act on its enforcement, prohibition and demolition order dated December 15, 2017 failure of which the Sheriff of Zimbabwe would be ordered to enforce it.
However, seven days lapsed and council failed to act and the onus to enforce the order fell on the Sheriff .
Documents in The Herald’s possession show that some officials from the Sheriff’s office had claimed to have executed the order on July 7 although it was only effected last Friday following numerous complaints by residents.
The city, through the then acting director of works Mrs Priscilla Charumbira on October 26 last year, wrote to Mr Mubvumbi, advising him to halt the illegal operations at his property or risk demolition of the illegal structures.
“An inspection carried out by development control section on October 25, 2017 and recorded in my register revealed that you are using the above mentioned residential property for commercial purposes and constructed illegal wooded structures for storage purposes,” reads the letter.
“Found on the premises was a whole house being used as grocery shops. For your information Stand No. 22409, Greendale Township, otherwise known as 7 Findowrie Drive, Greendale, is situated within a residential zone. Wherein erecting wooden structures on the boundary line and operating grocery shop is prohibited.”
Mrs Charumbira said such use amounts to contravention of Section 24 of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29; 12) Revised Edition 1996.
She advised Mr Mubvumbi to cease operations at the grocery shop and demolish the wooden structures on or before November 30, failure of which the city would issue him with an enforcement, prohibition and demolition order.
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