BCC closes down building, small scale businesspeople left stranded

Published: 10 June 2013

AT least 10 small scale businesspeople have been left stranded after the Bulawayo City Council declared a building they were operating from, a health hazard and closed it.

Betsi Gordon Building at the corner of Robert Mugabe Way and Sixth Avenue has been without water for close to a month after Bulawayo City Council cut off supplies for non-payment of bills.

The building is administered by John Pocock Real Estate.

Tenants said they were not happy about the water disconnection and subsequent closure of the building.

One of them, Mr Jacob Ncube, said their landlord had not updated them on the developments until they saw themselves being kicked out.

"According to the lease agreement, the landlord was supposed to pay the water bills but to our surprise we were disconnected three weeks ago. We inquired from the city council and tried to negotiate for a possible reconnection but council officials told us that they had not disconnected water. Now we are not sure whether it is the council that had disconnected water or it's the landlord," he said.

The owner owed council $680 in unpaid water bills.

"As we were trying to rectify the issue, we were told that our leases have been cancelled and we are supposed to pay more money to renew them,'' said Mr Ncube.

Another tenant who runs a printing service business alleged that the property manager wanted to bring in foreigners as new tenants since they pay more in rentals.

"This move was only meant to get rid of us for the landlord to accommodate foreign tenants who pay better than us. We understand that foreigners on the ground floor were not affected."

No comment could be obtained from the city council but an official from John Pocock who spoke on condition he remained anonymous said the building was closed because the tenants refused to pay for installations of individual meters.

He said it was not true that they wanted to bring in foreigners as new tenants.

"The council had to close the building because there was no water for the past three weeks. Firstly, we had a pipe leakage, which also contributed to the disconnection of water.

"Our tenants were asked to pay for the connection of new meters but they failed to respond within 21 days, the period they were given by the council," said the official.
- TC