Harare residents have expressed outrage over the proliferation of brothels and shebeens in the city.
The leisure places are reportedly fuelling drug and substance abuse as well as prostitution.
Shebeens are characterised by loud music, foul language, and criminal activities such as the selling of illegal drugs.
It is illegal for house owners to turn their properties into business enterprises but authorities are finding it difficult to enforce the law.
Harare Residents Trust director, Precious Shumba, told H-Metro that they had received numerous reports of young girls and boys being lured to drug bases in different suburbs. He said:
Brothels and shebeens are a social reality with high levels of unemployment.
People resort to all forms of business ventures to survive the hardships.
The major challenge is that these shebeens play loud music, which affects other residents.
ZRP spokesperson in Harare Province, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, said they had also recorded a rise in shebeens and unlicenced business operations. He said:
We are receiving reports of noise pollution and places like air BnBs are now hideouts for criminals.
Juvenile delinquency and illicit behaviour are the order of the day.
Sex parties and drug dealings are rampant in those places.
Harare City Council spokesperson, Innocent Ruwende, said:
It is illegal because businesses are given licences for what they applied to use them for.
Anything other than the business they registered to operate is illegal. It is, however, difficult to enforce bylaws.
Ruwende urged members of the public to report illegal business activities which mostly take place at night so that authorities enforce the law.
More: Pindula News
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