BULAWAYO City Council plans to compile a comprehensive inventory of empty buildings dotted in the city amid reports that scores of business people are struggling to secure premises.
Report by Nqobile Bhebhe
The local authority said the empty and dilapidated buildings are owned by absentee landlords who owed council huge amounts in unpaid rates.
According to the latest minutes of a meeting of the finance and development Committee that were set to be tabled at a full council meeting last night, Ward 1 councillor Edward Manning expressed concern over the buildings.
He said they were owned “by absentee landlords and owed council a lot of money. Aspiring business people were denied space to operate”.
Manning suggested that the municipality should take appropriate action to recover the money owed.
It’s not clear how much council is owed.
Contributing to the debate, city mayor Thaba Moyo said abandoned buildings posed a “great challenge” to council and “relevant departments would compile a detailed report and submit it to council in the usual manner and thereafter council would take appropriate action”.
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Councillor Clayton Zana said the buildings were prone to abuse by “other people” who had no authority over them.
In the past, Zanu PF youths have invaded several buildings and parcelled them out to their members, saying its part of the party’s empowerment drive.
This caused tension with the party provincial executive.
At the height of the building invasions, Zanu PF youths temporarily took over Zambesia and Canberra Flats located between Leopold Takawira and Sixth Avenue.
The militant youths have also grabbed Capri building which houses the Pizzaghetti .
