Masvingo councillors have proposed engaging the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to seek temporary relief from aspects of Operation Chenesa, arguing that residents need time to recover from the destruction caused by the October 5 hailstorm.
The hailstorm damaged more than 13 500 properties, prompting the government to declare a state of national disaster, with efforts underway to assist affected households.
During a recent Full Council meeting, councillors unanimously agreed to approach the ministry and seek leniency in implementing the clean-up operation, saying enforcement could further burden residents who are still struggling to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
Launched in September, Operation Chenesa is a government-led clean-up and environmental management campaign targeting, among other issues, informal trading activities and illegal structures.
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Ward 2 councillor Benson Hwata said many residents were yet to recover from the disaster, with some depending on informal trading for their livelihoods.
“Our people are still not yet back on their feet after the hailstorm. We are appealing that our province be exempted from the wrath of the operation while we try to make things work. The situation of the people is dire,” he said.
“Most of them live on informal trading and some are part of those who have been operating at undesignated places and using illegal structures. But can they get more time to put their houses in order?”
Ward 9 councillor Bernard Muchokwa said the disaster warranted a temporary suspension of enforcement activities to give residents time to rebuild.
“It is international practice that in the event that there is a national disaster, all other operations have to be halted. There are other cities that we can draw lessons from which had to halt these kinds of operations after they had been hit by floods, landslides and earthquakes. Masvingo should not be an exception,” he said.
“We are asking for time to recoup from this loss we suffered, while we also make sure all that we have is put back in place.”
Ward 10 councillor Senengai Manyanga said the national disaster declaration should influence how other government programmes were implemented in the province.
“The President declared the hailstorm a national disaster. All other operations that are ongoing need to be halted until another declaration is made otherwise. We understand that Operation Chenesa is a nationwide campaign, but how do you come and further destroy infrastructure that was already destroyed by a natural disaster?” she said.
Responding to the concerns, Mayor Aleck Tabe said the local authority had a responsibility to provide alternative designated trading spaces before relocating vendors from their current operating areas.
He said council would engage the ministry to negotiate a scaled-down implementation of the operation in Masvingo.
“We have the mandate as the council to establish and build alternative designated areas for the vendors to move to. We cannot just let the people be without providing them with alternative areas,” he said.
“Of course, we have higher authorities that give us directives, but we must try and negotiate with them and ask for leniency. We could find resources from partners that could cushion our vendors so that they may legitimise their operations.”
Tabe said council, with the support of the town clerk, had already been engaging the minister over the province’s circumstances.
He, however, emphasised that the local authority remained bound by the law and could not abandon enforcement altogether.
“What we are trying to negotiate for is that we can have the operation scaled down in Masvingo. Of course, there are extreme cases where we can see that there is danger to people’s health and safety, that we have to do away with, but for mild cases we can plead for leniency,” he said.
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