Council threatens to demolish shopping malls

Harare City Council has issued a stern warning against illegal structures sprouting across the city, vowing to demolish unauthorised developments as unregulated shopping malls continue to proliferate, Business Times can report.

The rapid expansion of informal businesses has fueled a surge in the construction of new structures and the conversion of old buildings into small retail spaces.

Large commercial properties that once housed legacy department stores and supermarkets have been repurposed into shopping malls, subdivided into small cubicles accommodating multiple operators.

The growing demand for compact retail spaces has proven lucrative for property owners, who benefit from increased rental yields as informal traders flock to these malls.

However, concerns are mounting over the legality of these developments, with some operating without proper approvals from city authorities.

Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama confirmed that the municipality will not hesitate to take action against illegal structures and unlicensed operators.

“New malls or structures have to be approved and licensed by the City of Harare. Illegal structures will be demolished, while those operating without licences will have their businesses closed down. We don’t tolerate lawlessness,” Gama said.

This crackdown follows years of intermittent demolitions targeting illegal structures erected on undesignated sites. If implemented, the latest warning could see several newly established malls in the Central Business District (CBD) facing demolition.

According to city regulations, any change in business use must comply with Section 26 of the Regional, Town, and Country Planning Act (Chapter 29:12 of 1996), which mandates prior approval from the relevant authorities.

However, urban planning experts argue that the current mall boom has largely been unregulated, with some developments failing to meet the minimum operational standards required by law.

The sudden transformation of the CBD’s commercial landscape has raised concerns over urban congestion, safety hazards, and the displacement of formal businesses. The original city blueprint did not anticipate such a surge in makeshift malls, leading to challenges in infrastructure management, traffic flow, and public safety.

The rise of informal trading hubs has significantly disrupted the formal retail sector, with many established businesses struggling to compete. Formal enterprises in Zimbabwe operate under stringent compliance requirements, including tax obligations, licensing fees, and labor laws. In contrast, informal traders often bypass these regulations, giving them a competitive cost advantage.

“The regulatory burden on formal businesses is significantly higher than that on informal traders. Many formal retailers are shutting down because they cannot compete with unlicensed operators who do not pay taxes or adhere to labor laws,” an analyst, who preferred anonymity, told Business Times.

A walk through Harare’s CBD reveals an ever-changing commercial landscape, with new structures emerging at an alarming rate. Many of these buildings are erected without adherence to planning laws, leading to haphazard developments that contribute to congestion.

“There is an uncontrolled influx of retail spaces, and some of these structures obstruct pedestrian movement. The city was not designed to accommodate this level of commercial activity in such a disorganized manner,” said an urban planning expert, who also requested not to be named.

Despite previous demolition exercises, unauthorized structures continue to emerge, highlighting enforcement challenges within the city council. Corruption, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and political interference have often undermined regulatory efforts, allowing illegal developments to thrive.

The council’s latest warning signals renewed efforts to restore order in the CBD.

However, the effectiveness of this initiative will depend on the city’s ability to enforce compliance without succumbing to external pressures.

As Harare grapples with rapid urbanization and an expanding informal sector, the city’s planning policies will need to adapt to balance economic opportunity with regulatory oversight.

Without decisive action, the unregulated expansion of shopping malls could further strain the city’s infrastructure and weaken the formal business sector.

For now, the fate of many newly established shopping malls hangs in the balance as Harare City Council prepares to take action against illegal developments.