Harare CBD property owners threaten legal action over Council neglect

Source: The Herald – Breaking news.

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

Owners of buildings in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD) have accused Mayor Jacob Mafume and the opposition-led city council of failing to address long-standing issues that are crippling businesses.

The disgruntled property owners, including prominent firms such as Mohammed Mussa, Bhika Brothers, Tselentis, and Dell Investments, have issued a petition and a strongly-worded letter to Mayor Mafume.

They are demanding action on excessive rates and taxes, inaccurate water bills, poor service delivery, traffic congestion, crime, and plummeting property values, among other concerns.

The group has given the mayor a 14-day ultimatum to address their grievances or risk legal action.

In the letter, the property owners said they have been raising the issues for more than six months without any tangible results.

Despite holding two meetings with Mayor Mafume and council representatives, they claim that promises to review excessive rates and adjust credits retroactively have not been fulfilled.

“You will recall we have had two meetings with you, and at both meetings, a representative from the City of Harare was present,’ read part of the petition.

“At the meetings, it was agreed that the rates and taxes, in many cases, were excessive and that the matter would be addressed and corrected.”

Concerns were also raised about the impact of recent property valuations. Property owners argued that the values were inflated despite the evident degradation of the CBD, which has led to businesses relocating and leaving many buildings vacant.

“The asset value of most of the properties has decreased substantially, and the resale/market value has dropped accordingly. Rental income is minimal, and the viability of properties is marginal. Accordingly, the City of Harare should not be increasing their valuations to maximise income.”

With many businesses nearing their financial year-end, the property owners fear that overcharging by the council will negatively impact their accounts.

“Many businesses are nearing the end of their financial year, and the overcharging by the City of Harare will adversely affect the year-end accounts,” read the petition.

The group has demanded an immediate resolution of the issues and warned that failure to act will leave them no choice but to seek legal recourse.

Efforts to obtain a comment from Mayor Mafume were unsuccessful as the mayor read the questions sent via WhatsApp but did not respond to them, and did not also answer his phone.