Urban migration and limited employment opportunities have prompted some house owners to reconstruct rooms that were destroyed in 2005 when government embarked on an operation code named Murambatsvina that destroyed homes across the country, leaving over 700,000 families displaced.
“Accommodation has become a problem now-a-days and with lack of jobs many house owners have resorted to extending their properties and renting out rooms to earn a living,” said Tinashe Mukombe who stays along Jack Bakasa Street in Majubeki Lines.
“This time people have been a little bit clever as they are not building randomly using plastic material but extending their houses in a legally acceptable manner, though some are not seeking proper plans and approval from the city council,” added Mukombe.
Majubeki has also become a hub of home industry as back yard welding and carpentry workshops, bakeries and restaurants, barbershops, hairdressing salons and firewood businesses have mushroomed.
The area consists mainly of three-roomed houses on 70 square-meter stands built during the 1960s to accommodate married council workers of the Smith regime.
Located next to Mbare Musika Market and Bus Termini, thousands of people throng the area daily for various business activities and travelling.
“You will notice that all types of businesses flourish here; be it mechanics, lodging, beer halls, bakery, hardware, carpentry as people run around to make money,” said Farai Antonio a fertiliser dealer just opposite Mbare Musika Bus Terminus.
“Travellers no longer have the problem of going to Siyaso Complex to buy hardware goods and then having to transport them. They can easily get everything here at the termini,” he said.
“This time people have been a little bit clever as they are not building randomly using plastic material but extending their houses in a legally acceptable manner”
The Harare City Council recently launched a blitz on shops in the central business zone, which saw hundreds of illegally subdivided shops being closed and unlicensed operators being made to conform to local authority regulations.
HCC Health Services Director and leader of the exercise, Stanley Mungofa, is on record saying a similar exercise would be carried out in residential areas where house owners are illegally converting their properties for commercial purposes.
“Most of our residential stands in high, medium and low densities are illegally converting to commercial purposes leading to houses and churches being turned into offices, schools and business places,” he said while launching the clean-up operation.
He said the council would no longer entertain applications to change the purposes of residential places to businesses when there were designated business areas lying idle.
“This has not only robbed council of potential revenue but has caused damage to the water and sanitation infrastructure due to overcrowding. It has also resulted in residential areas losing their character,” said Mungofa.
He estimated the council was losing potential revenue of $15 million per year from business operators, and was currently realising only $6 million a year.
Post published in: News