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Herald Correspondent
MUTARE City Council is at loggerheads with the Salvation Army after the local authority destroyed a makeshift church, damaging property worth over $7 000 in the process.

The church, built in September last year, was located near Macs Complex in Greenside.

In an interview with The Herald recently, one of the church members who declined to be named, said the city fathers had destroyed the structure last week without giving them notice.

“We are aware that our church was built at an undesignated site, but we have been working towards finding a permanent stand to built it,” the church member said.

“The city council used to give us warnings, but last week they did not give us any notice.

“We lost roofing sheets that were on the shed as well as the bricks and other structures that had been put up like toilets.”

The church member said church elders had been talking to the city officials since last week in a bid to solve the issue.
Mutare City Council spokesperson Mr Spren Mutiwi said council could not continue letting illegal structures pop-up in the city without taking action.

“The issue of property loss is a secondary issue, but the main issue is that as city council we do not accommodate illegal structures.”