adminWalter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
MASVINGO Informal Traders Association (MITA) president Gilbert Chikwata is allegedly failing to settle $50,000 in rental arrears to Masvingo City Council and the municipality is now mulling taking legal action.
According to the latest council minutes, Chikwata is allegedly failing to settle $50,000 which accrued over two years for a council leased hall which is now being used as a People’s Shop.
In the council minutes, Masvingo city’s director of housing and community services Levison Nzvura claimed that council was mulling instituting legal action against Chikwata to recover the money.
Chikwata could not be reached immediately for comment.
“The matter has been discussed in council meetings where options like eviction of the current tenants to recover over $50,000 debt owed by Chikwata who is the leasee through legal means were mooted. We also discussed the option of allowing the tenants to pay directly to council and not to Chikwata,” said Nzvura in the council minutes.
“As if not paying rentals is not enough, Chikwata is abusing the premises given illegal activities done at the premises. We noticed during our tour recently that some activities done at the premises are not in line with what is defined in the lease agreement.”
He said a lease agreement the municipality signed with the businessman states that the hall would be used to operate a People’s Shop in terms of the Shop Licences Act and no other business would be allowed without council’s written consent.
One tenant at the shop is allegedly operating a car wash in violation of the agreement and has been up in arms with the residents of Ward One under which the People’s Shop falls.
Nzvura said the car wash operator has been forced to draw water from a public toilet to sustain his business after water to the premises was disconnected by council due to arrears.
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