Ruwa Council Speaks Out After Traders Claim Refusing To Pay Bribes Cost Them Their Stalls
Ruwa Local Board (RLB) has urged residents and informal traders to report council officials accused of demanding bribes following the demolition of vending stalls in the town. The call comes after allegations that some traders were targeted for refusing to pay kickbacks while others were allegedly spared.
The demolitions left several informal traders facing losses after the local authority deployed two bulldozers to destroy structures erected in undesignated trading areas.
Ruwa Council Responds To Bribery Allegations Amid Demolitions
Some affected traders accused council officials of selectively enforcing municipal by-laws. They alleged that vendors who refused to make unauthorised payments were targeted.
Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com last week, Ruwa Local Board spokesperson Josephine Mupakati urged residents with evidence of corruption to report the officials involved.
Mupakati said:
“Ruwa Local Board takes allegations of corruption, bribery and abuse of office seriously. Council does not condone the solicitation or acceptance of unauthorised payments by any official in exchange for protection, preferential treatment or permission to conduct business.”
She stressed that all council payments must go through authorised channels and be supported by official documentation.
Ruwa Local Board Announces Plans For Affected Vendors
Mupakati said the council had begun registering informal traders to allocate designated vending spaces.
She added that no trader should face discrimination or victimisation for refusing to participate in corruption.
The council also held consultations with vendors over its proposed 2027 budget to incorporate their concerns into future planning.
The registration exercise forms part of efforts to accommodate informal trading while enforcing municipal regulations as Ruwa works towards its development goals for 2030.
The post Ruwa Council Breaks Silence On Bribery Allegations After Bulldozers Destroy Vendors’ Stalls appeared first on iHarare News.
