The City of Harare has issued a stark warning that it will shut down numerous shopping malls operating in the city’s residential suburbs. This dramatic move targets properties in areas like the Avenues, Eastlea, and Milton Park, where owners have allegedly converted homes into commercial spaces without council approval. The crackdown is an extension of a major operation already sweeping the capital’s central business district.
Operation Spills Into The Suburbs
According to the Business Times, the municipal operation, named ‘CBD Order Restoration’, is now set to intensify in residential and industrial zones. Harare City spokesperson, Stanley Gama, confirmed that the council’s focus will soon shift from the city centre to the leafy streets of the Avenues and nearby suburbs. Gama stated that the core issue is the illegal change of a building’s purpose from residential to commercial.
“The operation is still ongoing and has intensified. After completing it in the city centre we will go to the industrial areas across town. We will also go to the Avenues and nearby suburbs which were turned into business premises,” Gama told the Business Times.
He further explained the council’s position, highlighting a widespread lack of compliance among property owners seeking higher rental income.
“We have not done a survey but we know that there are a lot of businesses in the Avenues area that have not complied. We know these are residential areas and very few have complied.”
A Wave Of Closures And Compliance Checks
The scale of the existing operation is significant. The Business Times reported that as of their September 25, 2025, coverage, the council had already shut down 1,830 businesses found operating illegally in the CBD. Council data revealed widespread non-compliance, with 1,471 businesses trading without licences and 534 buildings in arrears on their payments. Safety was also a major concern, with 609 buildings lacking approved plans and 125 discovered to have expired fire extinguishers.
An update from the City of Harare’s official Facebook page on September 26, 2025, showed these numbers had increased. The council reported that the total number of businesses closed had risen to 2,240. The statistics for buildings with arrears rose to 697, and businesses without licenses reached 1,724. This indicates the enforcement drive was continuing apace.
A Deadline Extended But Resolve Firm
The council has acknowledged that the operation is taking longer than initially planned. It was originally scheduled for completion by September 30, 2025, but will now continue beyond that date as inspections spread across the city. Despite the extended timeline, the council’s message to business owners remains firm. Stanley Gama urged all industrialists and business operators to cooperate with city officials.
The council has advised those facing challenges in meeting compliance requirements to visit the Rowan Martin Building to negotiate payment plans. The goal, as stated by Gama, is unequivocal.
“We will find out if the firms have complied in changing the building purpose from residential into offices. We will close those malls that have not complied.”
This sets the stage for a significant confrontation between the municipal authority and business owners in some of Harare’s most prominent residential neighbourhoods.
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