Zimpapers Logo

Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]

MS Angelina Nkala’s family has been operating a shop at the Iminyela Shopping Centre since 1958, but she now fears their decades-old business may soon fall into the hands of new owners if the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) proceeds with plans to lease out the building to different tenants.

She is among eight business owners at the shopping centre who could lose their premises despite years of running butcheries, grocery stores, and salons in one of Bulawayo’s oldest suburbs.

Ms Nkala, who runs a salon, says her family has occupied the small building for over 65 years after her grandmother, Mrs Leah Nkala, established a business there in 1958. The enterprise has since been passed down to the younger generation.
“For years, my family has rented this building from BCC under long-term lease agreements that we renewed without fail. However, last year, we were asked to sign a one-year lease that can be terminated at any time. Our worry is that we could be evicted and replaced with new tenants,” she said.

“We have already seen a case where a fellow business owner here at Iminyela signed a similar one-year lease, only for their shop to be given to someone else when the contract expired.”

Concerned residents, business owners, and officials from the Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) convened at Iminyela Beer Garden yesterday to discuss possible solutions to the crisis.

BURA representative Mr Amos Mpofu expressed disappointment at the prospect of long-term tenants being displaced.
“These shops were once operated by nationalists who risked their lives for the country’s independence. While some original tenants have passed on, their children and grandchildren continue running these businesses,” said Mr Mpofu.

“We previously engaged the town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube, who was surprised by the eviction plans after businesses had operated here for over 50 years.”

The Chronicle obtained a letter confirming that a meeting was held in August 2012, attended by then-mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo, residents, and BURA representatives. The meeting resolved that BCC should sell the shops to the sitting tenants.
“Bulawayo City Council mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo, on 30 August 2012, met with BURA leaders and residents leasing council shops in Mpopoma, Mabuthweni, Iminyela, Nguboyenja, Njube, and Pelandaba. The meeting resolved that BCC sells the said shops to the sitting tenants,” reads the letter.

“It is the hope of shop tenants that BCC will honour this resolution. Selling the shops to outsiders would be unfair and discriminatory to long-standing tenants.”
Mr Dunken Ncube, who runs a grocery shop inherited from his grandfather, said their family has been in the business since the early 1960s.

“In the late 1980s, we approached the late Vice President Dr Joshua Nkomo, who stated that BCC should not evict us but rather sell the properties to us as a way of empowering Black entrepreneurs,” he said.

“We suspect that some corrupt elements within BCC want to remove us and hand the properties to their cronies. When these buildings were vandalised during the 2019 protests, we used our own money to renovate them, even after losing everything to looters.”

Mr Dube said they have diligently paid rates for years and feel it is time the city council recognised their commitment by transferring ownership to them.

Ward 9 Councillor Donaldson Mabuto vowed to fight for the interests of sitting tenants, saying they deserve first priority if the shops are to be sold.

“BCC should not be seen as impoverishing local businesspeople by denying them ownership after decades of occupation. Many of these tenants have been operating here for over 50 years, and it is only fair that they are considered first,” he said.
“As the representative of Ward 9, I will fight to ensure that these business owners are not given a raw deal. We will continue engaging BCC until a fair resolution is reached.”