BY BLESSED MHLANGA
HARARE City Council is losing millions of dollars in revenue to “space barons” linked to the ruling Zanu PF, who collect fees from vendors operating from the local authority’s vending sites, mayor Herbert Gomba has claimed.
Gomba said the revenue council was losing to the alleged barons could be used to improve service delivery.
“We have been losing millions to space barons,” he said. “This is money that council can use to improve service delivery and even upgrade vending stalls.
“However, people want services from us. They demand that we provide service, yet they don’t pay anything to council.
“They know they are paying space barons, who spend the money on their own luxuries.”
The frustrated mayor took to social media vowing to stop the ruling party members from collecting money from vendors, which should be going into council coffers.
Gomba said Harare was being driven into bankruptcy through the lawlessness.
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Following a directive from government, council has been dismantling illegal vending sites across the city and authorities say the vendors would be relocated once the current lockdown to slow down the spread of the coronavirus or Covid-19 is lifted.
“Most people who have vending spaces are paying rentals to third parties and we are losing thousands of dollars in the process, but by the time Covid-19 ends we will be glad and ready to accommodate our vendors in the designated places being prepared by council thereby freeing them from the yoke of the oppressive space barons,” Gomba said.
Council officials said the local authority could be losing as much as $5 million every month in potential revenue, which is being collected by space barons in Mbare, Glen Norah, the central business district and other major vending areas.
“People are allocated vending stalls by Zanu PF officials, especially under Chipangano,” said a council official, who requested to remain anonymous.
“They pay all fees to these space barons and council has been pushed out of this lucrative market, losing close to $5 million monthly.”
Four alleged space barons in Glen Norah, who are linked to Zanu PF were arrested last Thursday after clashing with police as they tried to stop the demolition of vending sites where they collected fees every month.
Gomba said these illegal activities, which spread to stands, corrupt allocation of tenders and milking council of its revenue, were meant to bring council to its knees so that residents accuse the MDC-led local authority of incompetence.
“That will not happen under my watch, they want to bankrupt the local authority and see it fail to deliver its mandate, fail to pay salaries, I will not be the first mayor to see Harare go bankrupt. I will not allow it,” he said on Twitter.
