The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor
THE Bulawayo City Council has clashed with local bakeries, accusing them of making deliveries to illegal vendors and also erecting and operating unlicensed kiosks in the high-density suburbs.
The council has previously raised alarm over the deliveries to illegal informal traders, operating from undesignated areas, which has resulted in council at some point impounding and penalising delivery trucks.
According to the latest council report, councillors questioned the continued unlawful conduct of bakeries saying there was a need to ensure that they operate within the confines of the city’s by-laws or risk being penalised.
The councillors claimed that along Hyde Park Road there were 15 illegal kiosk containers that have been put up by one bakery.
THE Bulawayo City Council has clashed with local bakeries, accusing them of making deliveries to illegal vendors and also erecting and operating unlicensed kiosks in the high-density suburbs.
“Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo confirmed that from Nketa Drive up to Intemba Road along Hyde Park Road (in and around Pumula) more than 15 kiosk containers had been erected. What is council’s plan with regards to unregistered food outlets,” she questioned.
Clr Joyce Ndlovu was also concerned about another bakery delivering bread to illegal vendors in the city while Clr Sinikiwe Mutanda noted that there were a lot of tuck shops in residential areas and some of them were selling food items. She expressed fears of residents facing harm from the food bought from uninspected premises.
“Inspections should be carried out and relevant laws and by-laws enforced,” she reiterated.
The local authority said the only registered kiosk containers in the city were the Coca-Cola type ones with the rest said to be operating illegally and hence risk being impounded.
“The only containers permitted in the city were the Coca-Cola type of kiosk containers. Council was condemning the delivery of bread door-to-door to illegal vendors. At the end of 2022, one of the bakery company’s management was engaged but the deliveries continued. The police were engaged and offenders were fined.
“The Town Clerk (Mr Christopher Dube) advised that the council had challenges with LP Gas distributors who sold LP Gas in undesignated areas.
“Council’s level of fines needs to be reviewed so that deterrent fines could be charged. The courts were not eager to deal much with public health offences. Resources permitting council would effectively enforce public health by-laws. Registration of premise renewals was done after inspections. Food handlers were required to have a food handlers’ certificate,” reads the report.
BCC further noted that most premises make sure that when they are due for inspections their premises are up to standard and relax after the inspections.
“The Chamber Secretary (Mrs Sikhangele Zhou) explained that by-law enforcement was being done. In the month of December 2022, various bakery trucks were arrested in the city delivering bread to illegal vendors. The issue of kiosk containers would be looked into and relevant by-laws enforced.
“The Town Clerk (Mr Christopher Dube) advised that the council had challenges with LP Gas distributors who sold LP Gas in undesignated areas. These activities stopped after the enforcement of relevant by-laws. The same would be done to illegal kiosk container/ tuck shops immediately,” reads the report.
