Harare Brings Operation Restore Order to Industrial

From the beginning stages of Operation Restore Order (image source)

The Harare City Council has announced the extension of Operation Restore Order from the Central Business District (CBD) to industrial areas and major shopping centres. Following a Tuesday meeting with senior council executives, Acting Head of Policy, Amos Muguti, confirmed that the campaign would commence in outlying zones starting next Monday, aiming to wrap up by the end of September.

Initially launched to address rampant informal structures, fire hazards, and safety violations in the CBD, leading to the closure of nearly 200 non-compliant businesses over a few days, Operation Restore Order has now gained new geographic scope. This escalation reflects mounting concern over unlicensed operations proliferating across the city’s industrial parks and shopping clusters.

Muguti’s executive brief described a more holistic enforcement campaign, targeting unauthorized zoning, illegal partitions, and safety infractions—matters that endanger lives and undermine property norms. Council’s objective is to restore urban order without crippling economic activity—though the tension between enforcement and enterprise is palpable.

Urban planner Dr. Ruth Mandaza underscores the importance of balanced policy: “Regulatory crackdowns are necessary, but must be accompanied by guidance, grace periods, and support for registration. Poor business owners are often unaware of shifting bylaws, not defiant.”

Indeed, the Recall of 200 CBD closures disproportionately impacted informal traders—many operating on razor-thin margins. Muguti has not yet outlined support measures, such as outreach, license simplification, or grants/remediation schemes. Harare’s expansion reflects a broader strategy to renew urban dignity, institutionalize city planning, and combat illegal densification. Formalizing industrial and retail zones can attract investment and improve safety—but heavy-handed measures risk disproportionately impacting small traders and micro-enterprises.

Public policy analyst Tawanda Chiripanhura cautions: “Visiting retailers without addressing their needs—clear renewal, affordable compliance—will instill fear, not reform.”

The operation also sets precedents for other municipalities, urging them to treat informal expansion as a planning breach rather than criminal misbehavior. Yet success depends on inclusive outreach and administrative support.