Ruwa residents urged to report corrupt officials amid demolitions row

RUWA Local Board (RLB) has urged residents to report bribe-seeking officials embroiled in the demolitions of illegal structures in the dormitory town situated on the outskirts of Harare.

The call comes in the wake of an outcry by stakeholders for the council to stop demolitions, particularly of vending sites

Recently, informal traders in Ruwa were left counting heavy losses after RLB deployed two bulldozers to raze informal vending stalls across non-designated trading areas. The sweeping blitz placed the local authority’s enforcement of municipal by-laws in direct conflict with informal traders who insist that vending is their sole means of survival in a struggling economy.

Some sections of the informal traders alleged the town’s officials were targeting workspaces occupied by those who had declined to pay kickbacks while protecting compliant actors.

Speaking to NewZimbabwe.com last week, RLB spokesperson Josephine Mupakati urged the affected parties to file reports for further action to stamp out such illicit conduct.

“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.

“All legitimate payments to council should be made through authorised channels and supported by appropriate official documentation. We encourage all our stakeholders not to pay any money that does not have official confirmation of payment. Individuals who have information or evidence relating to alleged corrupt practices are urged to report such matters through appropriate institutional or law enforcement channels,” she said.

Mupakati said council’s position is that no individual should be subjected to discriminatory enforcement or victimisation for refusing to participate in corrupt practices and highlighted that where allegations are substantiated through appropriate investigative processes, the relevant disciplinary or legal procedures are instituted.

She said following the demolitions, RLB has since embarked on the process of registering vendors for placement in designated vending sites with the broader objective of facilitating an environment in which informal trading can coexist with formal businesses and other land uses as Ruwa continues its transformation towards becoming a “Town of Excellence by 2030.”

Mupakati said the authority has since taken note of concerns surrounding the demolition of vending structures. She underscored that public engagement, and awareness must be raised to strengthen future compliance.

Council, the RLB spokesperson added, recently had a 2027 budget consultation meeting specifically for vendors to capture their input as far as financial planning for next year is concerned. Through such joint efforts, she noted, the town will be able to create conditions in which livelihoods can be sustained without compromising the safety and welfare of the broader community.

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