Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume wants businesses to stop playing games with shop licenses. He announced stores can no longer divide their spaces into tiny shops and call the whole thing a mall just to dodge paying multiple fees. These fake malls must pay for each separate business operating inside them. The city defines real malls as places like Sam Levy's Village and Westgate Mall with single ownership.
Many downtown businesses simply cut up their shops into smaller spaces and pretend they created something fancy. They name these divided spaces after family members and claim mall status to save money. Mayor Mafume sees through this trick and plans to enforce proper licensing for every business regardless of what they call themselves. Each divided section needs its very own license since they operate as independent stores.
The mayor explained that the city had changed its approach to business fees. Before, every store paid identical amounts regardless of size—supermarkets and tiny shops faced the same charges. The updated budget created different fee levels based on actual floor space measurements. Each business must pay according to its real size rather than hiding behind a fake mall label.
These unauthorized divided spaces cause big problems throughout Harare. Streets become dirtier as litter piles up around these makeshift shopping areas. Air quality suffers from increased pollution levels. Traffic jams worsen because these crowded areas attract more people than the streets can handle. The mayor believes proper licensing will help address these growing problems by regulating which businesses operate where.
Many downtown businesses simply cut up their shops into smaller spaces and pretend they created something fancy. They name these divided spaces after family members and claim mall status to save money. Mayor Mafume sees through this trick and plans to enforce proper licensing for every business regardless of what they call themselves. Each divided section needs its very own license since they operate as independent stores.
The mayor explained that the city had changed its approach to business fees. Before, every store paid identical amounts regardless of size—supermarkets and tiny shops faced the same charges. The updated budget created different fee levels based on actual floor space measurements. Each business must pay according to its real size rather than hiding behind a fake mall label.
These unauthorized divided spaces cause big problems throughout Harare. Streets become dirtier as litter piles up around these makeshift shopping areas. Air quality suffers from increased pollution levels. Traffic jams worsen because these crowded areas attract more people than the streets can handle. The mayor believes proper licensing will help address these growing problems by regulating which businesses operate where.
