According to sources from town house the operation was launched after the council realized that it was loosing millions in revenue from the unregistered businesses.
In an incident that was witnessed by this reporter in down town Harare, baton stick wielding municipal police officers and together with council employees were busy patrolling the shops demanding registration papers from the shop owners.
Some shop owners panicked and closed down shock out of fear of being harassed by the municipal officers who were in a threatening mood.
One shop owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Zimbabwean that the employees demanded the “original” registration papers and he had left them at home resulting in him paying a spot fine of US$200 before he was forced to shut down until he brings the papers at the council offices.
“I had a photocopy of the registration papers and they refused to honor it saying it wasn’t legit and they insisted that I produce the original copy of which I had left at home. They forced me to pay a fine of US$200 and they did not give me any receipt at all,” he said.
Harare City Council spokesperson Lesley Gwindi was not available for a comment and efforts to get a comment from Mayor Muchadei Masunda were fruitless since his phone went unanswered
Police Spokesperson for Harare Province Inspector James Sabau professed ignorance on the matter and said: “I haven’t heard anything about that operation yet, I will check later’.
Post published in: Business