By Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – Zimbabwe’s largest beerhall, Chigarapasi, reopened abruptly in April under EVS Inc Pvt Ltd after Big Five Beers’ lease expired on September 30, 2024.
Allegations suggest the reopening breached terms requiring 90 percent completion of renovations, with claims that the owner’s connections protect the lease from cancellation.
A source close to the matter said EVS was to open only after completing most renovations, with costs offset against rent.
“EVS was supposed to open to customers after completing 90% of the renovations, as the beerhall is in poor condition, but they began operating immediately after approval to renovate, despite an unsigned lease,” the source said.
Chiredzi’s acting Town Secretary, Lloyd Musasa, neither confirmed nor denied the allegations but verified that EVS won the tender to operate Chigarapasi for US$4,000 monthly rent.
“EVS won the tender to lease Chigarapasi Beerhall at US$4,000 per month, covering bars, cold rooms, and facilities. The agreement requires the tenant to renovate, with costs agreed upon and offset against future rentals,” Musasa said.
He added that he was unavailable, to comment on the breach of contact having delegated to the Public Relations Officer, who was also out of office. Efforts to reach the council chairperson were futile, as he was unavailable.
Chiredzi Town Council closed Chigarapasi in December 2016, following Ministry of Local Government orders to shut non-profitable entities.
After public outcry, as over 1,000 families, including sex workers, relied on the beerhall for their livelihoods, it was leased in 2017.
Big Five Beers operated it until September 2024, when the lease expired. After a five-month closure, EVS won the tender to take over.
EVS previously operated Caravan in Ward 2, where community complaints arose over noise from Thursday’s “China Chemadzimai” shows, causing sleepless nights. Chigarapasi, opened in the early 1980s for low-income sugarcane workers in the Lowveld, spans 16,273 square meters.
The reopening has sparked debate, as the beerhall’s condition and the unsigned lease raise questions about oversight.
The council’s agreement with EVS hinges on renovations, but the premature opening suggests potential mismanagement. The community, heavily dependent on the beerhall, watches closely as EVS navigates its controversial start.
