The City of Harare is intensifying efforts to enforce compliance among businesses in the Central Business District (CBD) as part of its “Operation CBD Order Restoration.”
Acting Town Clerk Phakamile Mabhena Moyo on Wednesday said the initiative, launched on 28 July 2025, aims to ensure all businesses operate in line with Council by-laws and regulations, while also recovering outstanding debts and promoting service delivery in line with the President’s “No Compromise to Service Delivery” directive. He said:
“All Businesses which are not compliant to Council by-laws and regulations are being closed. The City is taking appropriate remedial action to recover its debt while enforcing compliance to minimum service delivery standards as per the President’s Call to Action- No Compromise to Service Delivery.
“The Operation covers all buildings, shops and offices in the CBD. The CBD Operation will be completed by 31st of September 2025 and then spread to other areas until the whole City is adequately covered and 100% compliance levels are achieved.”
From 1 September 2025, the crackdown will extend to industrial areas, including heavy and light industries, as well as commercial service centres.
Business owners in these areas are urged to comply with Council officials and to visit the Rowan Martin offices to ensure full compliance and avoid disruptions. Said Moyo:
“Operation Order Restoration will now be spread to the Industrial Areas (Heavy and light industries) and Commercial service centres, effective 1st of September 2025.
“We therefore urge all industrialists and business operators to comply with the City officials as they carry out their mandate.
“To avoid inconveniences of having businesses closed, we urge operators in industrial and commercial areas to immediately visit our Rowan Martin offices to ensure maximum compliance.
“The City of Harare is committed to restoring order and sanity in the business sector as well as promoting ease of doing business to build investor confidence.”
Moyo said that since the operation began, a total of 1,202 business licenses have been issued, 536 businesses have received Fire Compliance Certificates, and 11 buildings were granted Certificates of Occupation after meeting model building by-law standards.
He said revenue collection has also improved significantly, with efficiency in the CBD Quadrant A increasing by 21% and licensing collection rising to 66%.
Compliance levels to building and licensing regulations in Quadrant A now average 90%, with a citywide target of 100%.
Moyo urged business owners to cooperate with the Members of the Joint Operation CBD Order Restoration by presenting approved development permits, building plans, and other necessary documentation.
He said the Inspection and Enforcement Teams are currently covering Quadrant A of the CBD, which is targeted to be completed by the 27th of August 2025. Added Moyo:
“Businesses operating within this Quadrant and the whole city are requested to fully comply with the law by paying up their bills, renewing shop licenses, securing a fire certificate, acquiring a certificate of occupation and regularising buildings, where subdivisions were done without approved development permits.”
To facilitate compliance, the City has established a One Stop Shop (Dedicated Desk) at Rowan Martin Building for easy processing of business license, Fire Certificate, Certificates of Occupation and Regularisation Application Fees for partitioned and illegally developed buildings and shops. Moyo said:
“Council will continue to issue closure orders and close all buildings and businesses that are not compliant.
“It is an offence, without reasonable excuse, to access the premises in breach of a closure notice/ order or obstructing City of Harare Authorised Officers or Members of the ZRP issuing an order or securing premises; or to contravene a compliance order.
“Appropriate action, including prosecution and penalisation of the offenders, will be pursued by the Council and the state enforcement Agency.”
Leave a Reply Cancel reply