Fine Or Demolition: Bulawayo Council On Non-Compliant Houses
Bulawayo City Council has carried out strict house inspections and has warned that non-compliant houses would either be demolished or owners would be fined.
Council Minutes of a recent meeting note that most of the offenders were in the Cowdray Park suburb.
The Minutes add that the Deputy Director of Housing and Community Services said those offenders would either be slapped with a fine or notice of demolition. Read the minutes:
Any identified non-compliant building; the owner was given a notice to address the non-compliance through regularisation but a heavy penalty was imposed. If still not rectified, a final notice was given leading to a request for demolishing authority from Council. Where there was great public danger, Council could rectify at the expense of the property owner.
Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai was handed over by the Government in May 2009 together with the relevant guideline to resolve them as detailed on the Council resolution of 4 April 2012. In terms of the Model building by-laws, the department carried out mandatory inspections, which were for new construction and renovations as per approved Plan.
These were done on request by developers/Residents. There were also routine inspections that the Department does on complete buildings. These were departmental work initiative programmes. These inspections included existing buildings and even new constructed development all over the city. The Inspections are done daily except weekends and public holidays.
However, the resources were not enough in terms of staff and vehicles. The Department did not inspect public buildings that belong to the government; these were under the purview of the Ministry of Public Construction.
Minutes also state that some unlawfully build houses on stands that are being owned by other people.
The local authority demanded the approved plans in terms of the by-laws and where they were not produced, owners face fines or demolition as regularisation was ruled out.
Owners of such stands were encouraged to report to the police as such matters were not double allocations.
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