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Council to unleash JOC on space barons

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HARARE City Council has engaged the Joint Operations Command (JOC) to depoliticise Mupedzanhamo market in Mbare and deal with interference mainly from politicians.

HARARE City Council has engaged the Joint Operations Command (JOC) to depoliticise Mupedzanhamo market in Mbare and deal with interference mainly from politicians.

BY MOSES MATENGA

The local authority said it would also obtain peace orders to bar the barons from having anything to do with the markets.

Council’s informal sector committee heard last week that the local authority was losing huge amounts of money due to interference from Zanu PF-linked space barons.

“The director of (housing and community services) reported that his department had flagged all space barons causing problems in all markets and reported them to JOC and was also considering getting peace orders from the courts to bar known barons from visiting the markets,” the meeting heard.

It emerged that former and current Zanu PF officials were involved in scandalous deals at the second-hand clothing market and were getting varying amounts of money on a daily basis.

Leading the pack was the militant group Chipangano which had the backing of several legislators and ministers under the late former President Robert Mugabe’s government. Other beneficiaries are in the new dispensation and the latest development by council will see their corrupt income source frozen.

Zanu PF had effectively taken over Mbare, collecting rentals, prejudicing the local authority of millions of dollars in potential revenue in the process.

Among their areas of control are Carter House, a boarding facility, Mbare Msika, Mupedzanhamo and other facilities.

Council said there were plans to make Carter House a boarding facility for college students.