The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa Chipinge Correspondent
CHIPINGE Rural District Council has embarked on a clean-up campaign to spruce up the district’s economic centres.
The campaign is themed ‘Return to Sanity’.
CRDC chief executive officer, Mr Blessing Mamvosha said the council is taking advantage of the lockdown to renovate informal trading sites and workplaces occupied by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
“We are taking full advantage of the low business activities, especially at vending and informal trading sites, to demolish illegal structures and renovate the legal ones.
“A Government circular informed us to clean-up illegal sites and renovate workplaces. Therefore council will renovate all social amenities at Checheche Growth Point,” he said.
SMEs representatives and the affected informal traders welcomed the development, saying this will bring order and formalise their operations.
“We were having challenges with illegal traders who would encroach into our vending areas. They were taking away our customers, yet they do not pay anything to the local authority.
Mrs Elizabeth Dhliwayo, who resides at Checheche Growth Point, said council consulted the relevant stakeholders before starting the clean-up programme.
“We are happy that the council consulted us before taking any action,” she said.
Chipinge South legislator, Cde Enock Porusingazi, said the local authority’s actions are in line with Government’s smart cities initiative.
“This is exactly what Government is calling for and we welcome this initiative,” he said.
