..as council avails lease with option to purchase to victims
Decide Nhendo
Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC) have availed a development control programme called ‘lease with option to purchase’ which is aimed at helping the victims of the just ended Operation Order No To Land Barons whose business premises were demolished by council.
This move comes in to assist those who were operating businesses on unauthorised land to have their business established on designated areas as they will have to reach agreements with Chiredzi Rural District Council on how they are going to purchase leases while running their businesses.
Chiredzi Rural District Council Chief Executive Officer Ailes Baloyi told TellZim News that the development control was targeting mainly those who had their illegal low income shopping structures demolished to come in groups and agree on leases and payment procedures.
“The development control targets those whose illegal business structures were demolished and council is giving the victims an opportunity to come in their selected groups and agree with council to get leases and start operating as they operate at designated areas,” he said.
Baloyi said Mkwasine, Triangle and Buffalo range were the most targeted areas as they have more people who were affected by the land operation and said most of the affected business people do not have capacity to construct shops on their own hence the need to form and operate in groups.
“Mkwasine, Triangle and Buffalo had more illegal tuckshops that were demolished by ‘operation order no to land barons’ so those are our main targets.
“However, most of the people who were operating in these areas do not have the capacity to build a shop alone so we have suggested that they come in groups and work together to pool resources and construct business complexes,” he said.
Baloyi also said the local authority was very serious and determined to alleviate business challenges being faced by Chiredzi rural district business community without leaving behind youths and women too urging them to take advantage of the programme.
Echoing on the same sentiments, Chiredzi RDC chairperson Aspect Mashingaidze said the development control was a move to assist affected business people to bounce back, run their businesses for community development.
“This development control is a way that we as council implemented to assist the people who were running businesses without leases or licences so that they can return into business putting into consideration their losses to ‘operation order no to land barons’,” said Mashingaidze.
Mashingaidze said the victims who were willing to cooperate with the resolution should pay a fee showing their commitment. After paying the fee council will then go and do layout plans, drafts and drawings and if a group can afford to build a complex they will then start building and then pay back to council while operating.
“People affected by operation order no to land barons with the willpower to do their businesses must come to council in groups and show their commitment by paying USD 100 after which that they will be given a plan and start constructing. After signing agreement forms with council they will then pay the remainder while running their businesses,” he said.
He also said as council they are very concerned and want business people in rural areas to compete with those in urban areas in form of service delivery, standard structures and regulation papers.
“Our main objective is to have rural business people have their businesses progress and at the same time have standard structures like those in towns,” he said.
Mashingaidze added that the ideal complex design they are following is like that constructed by Chamber of SMEs working hand-in-hand with council and Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises on Build, Operate and Transfer model.
“Actual design of ideal complexes we want victims to build is like that at Buffalo Range which is 70percent complete where council partners Chamber of SMEs on Build, Operate and Transfer model,” he said.
These people who lost their business structures were affected by the recent land operation which started on January 10, 2024 up to February 9, with the government saying they wanted to restore order and ensure sanity in land allocation and settlement within the province.
It is a criminal offense in terms of the Zimbabwe Land Commission Act (Chapter 20:29) and the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act (Chapter 20:28), to occupy State land without lawful authority in the form of a permit, an offer letter or a lease.
Over 2000 people were arrested in Masvingo province, with 600 being convicted and in some cases people were evicted, being forced to leave crops, selling their livestock for almost half prices and demolish their own houses and structures like 15 Zvengombe business people who were forced to destroy their own tuck shops.
