BULAWAYO councillors have expressed concern over several barber shops and market stalls which have been converted to grocery shops by operators without the local authority's approval.
Latest council minutes on miscellaneous income state: “Councillor Frank Javangwe raised concern pertaining to licences. He observed that shops in the high-density suburbs that were formerly market stalls and barber shops had been converted to grocery shops diverting from their line of business.”
Javangwe also noted that law enforcement agents are demanding licences from the traders which they did not have, hence the need to licence the shops.
“Councillor Felix Mhaka concurred with the sentiments. He noted that tenants operating in subdivided shops within the central business district also suffered the same fate. Only the shop owners had acquired licences. He enquired on the council’s position with regards to the partitioned shops. In his view, he felt that council should issue temporary permits and collect revenue while the issue was being looked into.”
The minutes state that councillor Silas Chigora did not support the view, arguing that back door shops were illegal hence no shop licence should be issued to them.
“Subdividing the shops is illegal even if the line of business is the same. It is also a challenge for council to collect revenue from the (partitioned) shops because they have no lease with council,” the minutes read.
The city’s legal department advised that tenants within a subdivided shop also had shop licences by default because of the shop owner having one.
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