BULAWAYO deputy mayor Amen Mpofu last week warned Local Government, Rural and Urban Development minister Ignatius Chombo against disturbing council operations to protect Zanu PF supporters.
Report by Nduduzo Tshuma Staff Reporter
Mpofu made the remarks at a meeting between Chombo and the local authority at the council chambers during a discussion over leased council shops.
The council and Chombo are at loggerheads after the local authority in September invited tenders for the lease of 52 council shops in the city’s four western suburbs of Iminyela, Mabutweni, Njube and Pelandaba.
The council had also put up for lease kiosks at the Centenary Park, Barham Green and North End swimming pools. Chombo ordered council to withdraw the tenders, describing the move as criminal, but the council remained defiant.
“People are placing other people in those shops. Some of them charge exorbitant fees,” Mpofu said.
“We have heard that if you want to be protected by the minister, you have to buy a Zanu PF card, but we will be honoured if you revisit the issue.
“Common sense tells us that when you use a lease for more than 10 years, you would have generated something to buy your structure and you should move out.
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“The city council was the first to carry out the empowerment exercise long ago in programmes like these.
“These people owe us millions of dollars and do not want to pay, we feel that you are disturbing our programme.
“While you are protecting those so-called traders, let us respect the law.”
Mpofu said even some Zanu PF supporters were not in support of Chombo’s stance.
Chombo insisted that those who had used council property for more than 10 years should be given a chance to purchase the premises.
“If you remove those people, I will fight the move. If the lease holder dies and you sell the property to their children or widows, I will support you,” Chombo said.
“If you remove someone who has used the properties for more than 30 years, then I will fight you even if you use the legal channels.”
The minister said he was aware that some corrupt councillors wanted to evict people from shops so that they could take them over.
“If someone has died and the shops have been abandoned, then put the shop to tender through proper channels,” he said.
