Harare Closes 1,800 CBD Businesses Over Safety Violations

Harare City Council has shut down 1,830 CBD businesses (image source)

The City of Harare has shut down 1,830 businesses operating in the Central Business District (CBD) following a sweeping inspection campaign targeting fire safety, licensing, and building compliance violations. The closures were confirmed after a progress review meeting on the CBD Order Restoration programme, which aims to restore municipal order and improve service delivery. Acting Town Clerk Engineer Phakamile Mabhena Moyo said the operation will continue until all businesses meet legal standards.

“We continue to urge businesspeople and building owners in the CBD to immediately regularise their operations,” Mabhena Moyo said.

According to city data, 1,471 businesses were operating without valid licences, while 609 buildings lacked approved plans. Fire safety inspections revealed 125 buildings with expired extinguishers, and 744 properties were missing subdivision permits. Water supplies were disconnected from 81 properties, and 534 buildings were in arrears with council payments. Mabhena Moyo emphasized the need for improved revenue collection, stating that council must meet a 70% collection target to sustain operations.

“We must reflect on how to improve our revenue collection,” he added.

The crackdown comes amid years of informal business expansion in Harare’s CBD, where partitioned rental spaces have proliferated due to economic hardship. Council officials say the disorder undermines formal commerce and strains municipal services. The operation aligns with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 2024 Call to Action programme, which prioritizes urban renewal and regulatory enforcement.

Council has launched a one-stop shop for business licence applications, with processing expected to take two days. Inspections will expand to industrial zones and residential suburbs in the coming weeks.