Addressing journalist at a press conference on Monday, the leader of the operation and Director of the Health Services Department, Stanley Mungofa said the crackdown would last four weeks.
Offenders would be arrested and face jail or complete shutdowns.
“Council is losing a potential revenue of $15m per year from all business operators in the Greater Harare perimeters and we are realising only 40 percent of what we are supposed to get in the city of Harare alone. According to our records, we realize $6 million only,” he said.
He claimed that some of the illegal and non-paying shops belonged to influential people while most residential properties were being converted to commercial use without following procedures.
“This blitz has no sacred cows and it is disheartening to note that people in authority are deliberately undermining city by-laws by subletting their properties,” he said.
Mungofa singled out shops selling agrochemicals and other chemicals as well as property owners causing overcrowding by subletting their space as some of the main violators of the city health regulations.
Mungofa said the operations would be conducted by 10 teams comprising environment inspectors, health officers, municipality police officers, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, a town planner and cashiers, all who would be wearing special identification tags and uniforms.
Post published in: News