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Michael Chideme

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Disaster is looming in Harare where 6 000 informal business operators are refusing to vacate nine high-rise buildings that have been condemned as unsafe and unfit for human use.

Although Harare City Council has threatened to shut down the premises if the owners did not renovate them with immediate effect, the occupants are adamant that they will remain put.

The buildings were condemned last year.

The city has been exposing businesspeople and residents to risk by allowing owners of such buildings to continue operating the condemned structures.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) headquarters Mahachi Quantum and eight other high-rise buildings that house colleges, estate agents, tailors, Internet shops, hair salons and driving schools among other businesses, have been condemned.

The city’s principal communications officer, Mr Michael Chideme, said council had issued orders to all building owners encouraging them to rectify the defects on their premises or risk closure.

“If they fail to do so we will be forced to shut down the buildings and preserve human life. We are very fortunate that in Harare we have not yet had buildings collapsing. We want to keep that record,” he said.

Although the city condemned the buildings last year, they have remained open for business, putting the lives of the entrepreneurs and the public at risk.

The city said the condemned buildings did not meet fire and safety standards.

The other condemned buildings are Robin House, Dublin House, Daventry House, Stewart and Lloyds, Bush House, Roslin House, Msasa House, Building and Vivandelphi Court.

Most of the properties are high rise buildings and house more than 800 business tenants each.

Mahachi Quantum was condemned because it does not have emergency exit doors, the gang way leads to Jason Moyo Street, hose reels do not work in the event of a fire and the building does not have fire signs and extinguishers.

Vivandelphi Court was condemned because it is dilapidated and has no water, electricity and has a pile of rubbish within the building.

The city said Stewarts and Lloyds is overcrowded and is being used for various activities without sufficient protection.

There is poor housekeeping and blocked exits points at buildings such as Msasa House, Bush House, Daventry House, Robin House and Roslin House

Some have unsecured electricity cables.

The city requires the buildings to have ventilation systems, exit points and emergency doors in the event of a fire.

Proprietors target informal businesses that are competing for space and are not worried about the standards at the buildings.

The overcrowding is being caused by some tenants who also subdivide the rooms to accommodate more people.

Some occupants, however, expressed ignorance that the premises were condemned.

“We moved here recently (at Daventry House) and we do not know that it was condemned,” said a tenant that declined to be named.

Said a tenant at Robin House only identified at Mr Mutero: “We are not going anywhere. Infact we are aware of what these people (council) are saying, but the major challenge is we cannot leave these premises, where do we go?”

A property consultant Mr Tawanda Chirawu said: “The tenants will eventually lose this war. What is critical is for the tenants from these properties to form a committee and then engage the owners and the city to find the way forward.”