Harare crackdown targets malls in residential areas
LIVINGSTONE MARUFU
The City of Harare has warned that it will shut down several malls in the Avenues and nearby suburbs for breaching municipal by-laws, after property owners converted residential buildings into commercial spaces without approval.
Council officials say areas such as Avenues, Eastlea, Milton Park, Belvedere, Belgravia and Avondale remain classified as residential zones, yet many buildings have been demolished or repurposed into malls to generate higher rental income. However, very few owners have formally notified the city of these conversions.
Harare City spokesperson Stanley Gama said the ongoing Central Business District (CBD) Order Restoration Operation will soon extend to residential and industrial areas.
“The operation is still ongoing and has intensified. After completing it in the city centre we will go to the industrial areas across town. We will also go to the Avenues and nearby suburbs which were turned into business premises. We will find out if the firms have complied in changing the building purpose from residential into offices. We will close those malls that have not complied,” Gama said.
He added: “We have not done a survey but we know that there are a lot of businesses in the Avenues area that have not complied. We know these are residential areas and very few have complied.”
Businesses facing challenges in meeting compliance requirements, Gama said, can visit Rowan Martin Building to negotiate payment plans.
The clampdown follows the July 28 launch of Operation CBD Order Restoration, an enforcement drive targeting non-compliant businesses across the capital. Council has already shut down 1,830 businesses found operating illegally.
According to latest council data, 1,471 businesses were trading without licences, 534 buildings were in arrears, and water supplies had been cut off from 81 properties. Structural safety remains a concern, with 609 buildings lacking approved plans and 744 operating without subdivision permits. Fire safety is also under scrutiny, with 125 buildings discovered to have expired fire extinguishers. By contrast, 3,814 properties were reported to be fire certified.
“Revenue collection efficiency on consolidated bills (CBD–Quadrant A) increased by 21%. Revenue collection efficiency on licensing has significantly improved to 66% while compliance levels to model building by-laws and the Shop Licences Act is now averaging 90% (Quadrant A). The City is targeting 100% compliance,” Gama said.
The council acknowledged that the operation, initially set to be completed by September 30, 2025, will take longer than anticipated as inspections spread across the city.
“We therefore urge all industrialists and business operators to comply with the City officials as they carry out their mandate,” Gama told Business Times.
