The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
A TOTAL of 18 properties in Bulawayo’s affluent suburbs of Selbourne Park and Hillcrest face demolition after the owners reportedly built illegal structures on them.
The local authority has in the past couple of months been on an exercise of identifying some of these illegal structures in the city, which has seen them issue 21-day notices for appropriate measures to be taken or face demolition.
In the latest batch of properties that were built illegally, 17 are in Selbourne Park and one in Hillcrest.
The list also includes a property owned by Ward 14 councillor, MacDonald Chunga in Selbourne Park.
“The Director of Housing and Community Services (Mr Dictor Khumalo) reported that in terms of the model building by-laws (1977), no construction should be done without approved plans and requisite inspections by Council. As such the developments should be regularised if they met all Council by-laws and policies subject to relevant penalties paid. If they could not comply, then the development had to be removed accordingly.
“The Department carried routine inspections around the city. Appropriate 21 days notices had been issued. If no corrective action was taken penalties would be charged and where appropriate demolishing procedures instituted,” reads part of a council report.
A couple of months ago the local authority condemned 51 buildings in the Central Business District (CBD), which are in a poor state and considered abandoned, dilapidated or derelict.
They further identified 16 churches in the city that constructed illegal structures.
