The fat-cats are busy building before things go bust
It appears that Harare is entering a building boom; one wonders where all the money is coming from?
This question gains in exponential significance when you hear who is behind the potential projects. I was with friends the other evening who told me that they had gone to the bank to investigate the low interest loans made available through external sources for development in Zimbabwe. Apparently the bank official laughed and said all the funds had already been grabbed by Zanu sychophants. No surprises there.
On the Borrowdale Road, Targon Construction is busy bulldozing and clearing virgin land to build there. In normal circumstances a billboard would be erected outlining the project, the partners and giving the council details, but no such board is in place.
This land is meant to be designated green belt, but that has never worried the fat cat chefs in our country.
Indeed, this particular bit of green belt is the catchment area for the Mazoe River – development should never be allowed so as to protect this fragile environment, especially considering the dire water conditions in Harare. When the City council valuator was called about the project, he emphatically stated that no permission has been given for it. He claimed that his department had sent a letter denying permission to the developers.
The council has inspected the site but the urban planning department is yet to take action.
But I somehow doubt anything will be done to stop the project. Targon is owned by the infamous Supa Mandiwanzira and he is apparently backed by the delightful entrepreneur Philip Chiyangwa. Chiyangwa appeared on ZTV last week looking bizarrely banana like in a yellow suit, talking about his drive to develop Harare. There is strong talk that Chiyangwa is a very busy man, taking over premises all over the capital.
The Borrowdale Rd is set to be a hive of activity. OK bazaars are apparently looking to build a shopping mall there in the near future. They will be in direct competition with shopping professional Grace Mugabe, who has apparently blocked a project submitted by a school to build on council land in the Borrowdale Rd vicinity, as she is apparently intending to build a shopping centre on that land! I wonder if she is intending to invite the big name labels to open in her mall so she does not have to travel far to satisfy her retail therapy needs.
Now go to the city centre and you hear stories from residents around Park St that they have been told that they have no choice but to sell their commercial properties to NSSA. This organisation is particularly odious as they have for years demanded payment from our impoverished work force and rarely pay out benefits to their victims. Now the rumour is they are going to build a shopping mall opposite their offices.
Apparently this new shopping centre project is being carried out with city council collusion under the directive from our illustrious Minister, Ignatius Chombo.
Really, how many shops are needed in Harare?
September 10th, 2009 05:42
Same old story – when there is no rule of law, it’s survival of the strongest.
Under these circumstances the only winners are the crooks, the cunning, and those enjoying political favouritism. The losers are the common people, the powerless, the environment and following generations.
The shame is that there are still plenty of Mugabe apologists who pretend that race has everything to do with Zimbabwe’s woes.
November 9th, 2009 20:38
@Graham (the original) – Exactly