Mutare Correspondent
MUTARE – The City of Mutare has launched a stringent enforcement drive against illegal vending and building dilapidation in preparation for two major national events set to place the city in the spotlight later this year.
Mayor Simon Chabuka has directed the city management to strictly enforce bylaws concerning street vending, night vending, and littering. The move is aimed at ensuring the city is pristine for the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo from September 10-12 and the ZANU PF National People’s Conference in October.
“We are hosting two important events, and we will be strict on vending. The Government is very clear on night vending and street vending, so we must enforce these bylaws. We are the best-run council in the country so we must lead by example,” Mayor Chabuka stated during a recent full council meeting.
The city’s position has received backing from the Mutare Informal Traders Association (MITA). Its president, Itai Kariparire, urged all vendors to regularise their operations.
“Council is correct. Illegal vendors must go to legal vending spaces which are already available… They must join others and work from permitted zones where we pay bills to council. This will help to beef up council pockets which in return will improve service delivery,” Kariparire told our newsroom.
In a parallel development, the Mutare City Council has issued a notice compelling all property owners and occupants within the Central Business District (CBD) to urgently repair, refurbish, and repaint their buildings.
The notice highlighted the poor state of many properties, stating,
“It can be widely agreed that most buildings in the CBD have gone for a long time unattended thereby dilapidating… it is important to repair and refurbish the buildings before this event.”
With thousands of local and international visitors expected, the city is pulling out all the stops to present a clean, orderly, and welcoming face to the world.
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