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economic pressure group, to resolve the dispute over parking management.
The meeting, which was supposed to be held on Tuesday, was moved to today to allow council’s business committee to meet before engaging the youths.
The committee also wanted town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi, who is also the chairman of the Easipark management committee, to attend. Dr Mahachi was out of the country in China where he had gone to discuss possible funding of the Kunzvi Dam project.
Council business ventures fall under the purview of the business committee. The committee is expected to come up with a position which Mr Masunda and Dr Mahachi would table during the meeting with Upfumi Kuvadiki.
“The meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday at the behest of the business committee, which is meeting today (Tuesday), and the town clerk who has just got back from China,” said Mr Masunda.
A member of the youth pressure group Mr Wesley Bvekerwa also confirmed that the meeting would be held today.
“We had wanted to close the offices again but we have decided to wait and see what comes out of the meeting,” he said. On Monday members of Upfumi Kuvadiki temporarily paralysed Easipark parking operations in a move described by city officials as reminiscent of a “smash and grab” operation.
Easipark is a joint venture between the city and EasiHold of South Africa in which the city enjoys a 60 percent profit sharing with the remainder going to EasiHold.
Under the arrangement EasiHold, which is a manufacturer of parking equipment, brings in the equipment and gets returns from the profit sharing deal. The money is yet to be shared with council adamant that allowing the sharing to take place now would mean that EasiHold does not use its own resources to fund the deal. The five-year marriage is in its first year. At the lapse of the five-year period, the city retains the prerogative to either renew or completely abandon the partnership. EasiHold partnered council at a time most local and international investors were uneasy on committing their money in Zimbabwe.
Dr Mahachi and Mr Masunda have previously argued that the city is the indigenous partner in the joint venture and as such was compliant with the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act.
Head of council’s business unit and a member of the Easipark management team Mr Alois Masepe on Monday said there were many business opportunities in Harare that the youths and anyone could participate in if they approached the city with proposals. Observers have suggested that all new buildings in the Central Business District should have parking space. This is an area where those with money to develop parking space can participate. There are a number of buildings in the CBD that are being developed in storey buildings.
Others have suggested that investors should look at building specific multi-storey parkades, truck-inns and commuter holding bays on the outskirts of the CBD.
There has been concern over the behaviour of some empowerment groups who do not want to start their own business ventures but are keen on either disrupting existing concerns by either advancing racial overtones or inequity in the manner shareholding is distributed.