GUTTED BUILDING TO BE DEMOLISHED

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has resolved to demolish a building that was razed by fire in the Central Business District in June this year.

The local authority has condemned the building as unsafe and an eyesore.
In June a fire burnt down the building situated at corner Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and 11th Avenue, reducing five vehicles that were parked nearby to shells.

It is suspected the inferno was caused by homeless people who were sheltering inside the building and the situation was worsened by fuel which was kept in the building by illegal fuel dealers.

Council in its latest report said the building owned by Nicktrend Investments Services should be demolished as it has become danger to the public.

The department of Housing and Community Services said the building should be flattened within 30 days of notifying its owners in line with the city’s by-laws as it risked collapsing.

“As per the Model Building By-Laws (1977) Chapter 2, Section 48, the building had been deemed to be a potential source of danger to the public. As such, in light of the mandate for public safety, the department had erected a fence, barrier and signage around the building and immediate pavement and parking bays, with the view to prevent any access, walking or parking in the vicinity of the building that had a possibility of collapse,” reads the report.
The municipality said its owners should engage structural engineers if they object to the demolition of the building.

“The recommendation of the acting director of Housing and Community Services was that in light of the perceived danger, the building be demolished, following the due notices and process for obtaining a demolition order, unless the owner submits a structural engineers report factually saying why it must not be demolished as per statute,” reads the report.

The council said Nicktrend Investments Services will incur the cost of the demolition.
The local authority has already charged the company $500 for barricading the premise so that it becomes inaccessible.

“The recommendation of the acting director of Housing and Community Services is that all costs incurred in the process of securing the building be charged to the respective rates account,” read the council report. chronicle

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