This
emerged
in
the
latest
council
minutes,
which
show
that
last
month
the
Bulawayo
City
Council
issued
94
intimations
or
formal
warning
notices
to
businesses
and
organisations
operating
illegally,
with
pre-schools,
butcheries,
restaurants
and
lodges
among
the
worst
offenders.
The
April
2026
report
of
the
Health,
Housing
and
Education
Committee,
tabled
before
the
full
council,
paints
a
worrying
picture
of
widespread
violations
in
the
city’s
commercial
and
food-handling
sectors.
The
94
warning
notices
stemmed
from
2
091
inspections
carried
out
for
routine
compliance
monitoring,
shop
licence
inspections,
non-trading
premises
inspections,
renewal
of
registration
certificates,
health
reports
and
domiciliary
visits.
Particularly
alarming
was
the
number
of
ECD
centres
and
pre-schools,
most
of
them
located
in
Nkulumane,
found
operating
without
development
permits,
council-approved
plans
or
medically
examined
food
handlers.
Among
the
cited
institutions
was
Step
Ahead
ECD
at
8990
Nkulumane,
which
was
operating
without
a
development
permit
and
approved
building
plans.
The
same
institution
was
also
flagged
at
a
second
location,
9013
Nkulumane,
for
similar
violations.
El-Shaddai
Day
Care
and
Pre-School
at
2037
Nkulumane
was
found
operating
without
council-approved
plans,
while
its
food
handlers
had
not
undergone
medical
examinations.
Inspectors
also
noted
overcrowding
in
classrooms.
Other
institutions
cited
included
Future
Builders
Pre-School
(3284
Nkulumane),
St
Limon
Pre-School
(3673
Nkulumane),
Daveland
Infant
School
(2480
Nkulumane),
Future
Champions
Pre-School
(2769
Nkulumane),
Trinity
Pre-School
(2671
Nkulumane),
Little
Shining
Stars
Pre-School
(5897
Nkulumane),
Little
Angels
Day
Care
(5687
Nkulumane),
Alpha
Day
Care
(6149
Nkulumane)
and
Rise
and
Shine
Day
Care
(3951
Nkulumane).
Shiloh
Heart
Infant
School
at
9778
Amersham
Road,
Paddonhurst,
was
found
operating
with
an
expired
permit
and
without
approved
building
plans.
Inspectors
also
discovered
toilets
had
been
converted
into
a
storeroom,
while
poor
housekeeping
was
observed
on
the
premises.
The
health
inspectorate
further
reported
that
cooked
food
continues
to
be
sold
illegally
from
street
corners
and
vehicle
boots,
with
some
operators
running
illegal
kitchens
overnight
at
car
parks.
Some
operators
included
Towerview
at
120
Jason
Moyo
Street,
which
was
operating
without
a
shop
licence,
while
Fairmind
Stationery
at
120A
Jason
Moyo
Street
and
Maxmin
on
12th
Avenue
faced
similar
violations.
Several
butcheries
and
food
outlets
were
also
cited
for
serious
health
breaches.
Southwold
Butchery,
located
between
Bath
Road
and
Evesham
Road,
was
operating
without
a
registration
certificate
and
without
food
handler
certificates
for
workers.
Woza
Woza
Restaurant
Special,
also
located
between
Bath
Road
and
Evesham
Road,
was
found
displaying
a
liquor
licence
without
proof
of
payment
to
council
and
operating
a
restaurant
without
a
registration
certificate.
Sai
Mart
at
79
Jason
Moyo
Street
was
cited
for
multiple
violations,
including
a
non-functional
hand
washing
basin
in
the
butchery
section,
lack
of
hot
water,
rusted
meat
hooks
and
pest
infestation
involving
rats
and
cockroaches.
Inspectors
also
found
that
cooking
oil
used
for
chips
had
been
in
use
for
one
month
and
three
days.
Cecil/HBC
Hotel
at
54
Fife
Street
was
cited
for
pollution
and
other
non-compliance
issues,
while
Pamusha
Lodge
B10
BT
was
found
operating
illegally
without
a
permit
or
council-approved
plans.
The
council
also
condemned
significant
quantities
of
food
deemed
unfit
for
human
consumption.
Some
of
the
food
was
found
in
shops
such
as
Zama
Supermarket
on
4C
Railway
Avenue,
whose
Mazoe
and
flour
were
condemned
after
inspectors
found
it
expired
and
damaged.
Sai
Mart
had
Gloria
flour
and
Koo
Baked
Beans
condemned
due
to
contamination
and
dented
cans.
At
43
Robert
Mugabe
Way,
145kg
of
beef
belonging
to
Ability
Moyo
was
condemned
after
it
was
found
to
be
uninspected
and
improperly
transported.
Inspectors
also
condemned
66
expired
500ml
bottles
of
Shooters
alcoholic
beverages.
Simbisa
Brands
had
109kg
of
chicken
and
4.2kg
of
cooked
rice
condemned
as
unwholesome.
At
Texas
Steak
on
4C
Bristol
Road
in
Belmont,
inspectors
condemned
expired
food
products
including
120kg
of
steak
seasoning,
48kg
of
Texas
Steak
seasoning,
3kg
of
Smokey
Durban
spice,
2kg
of
Rousal
Beef
Stew
Soup,
540kg
of
Russian
dye
and
450kg
of
mayonnaise.
Meadow
Meats
on
49
Plumtree
Road
had
expired
Black
Forest
spice
confiscated,
while
Chicken
Inn
at
the
ZITF
grounds
on
Hillside
Road
had
five
litres
of
expired
Creamy
Garlic
Dipping
Sauce
condemned.
The
council
minutes
also
show
that
the
inspectorate
department
attended
to
19
public
complaints
during
the
month
of
April.
Among
them
was
a
complaint
regarding
the
illegal
keeping
of
poultry
at
112
Strauss
Road
in
Barham
Green.
Inspectors
confirmed
the
nuisance
and
issued
a
formal
warning
ordering
the
immediate
removal
of
the
poultry.
A
complaint
by
Jina
Abrahim
and
Sons
at
72
Herbert
Chitepo
Street
over
dust
caused
by
roadworks
was
referred
to
the
Water,
Sanitation
and
Hygiene
(WASH)
and
Engineering,
Procurement
and
Construction
(EPC)
departments.
Several
complaints
over
inconsistent
waste
collection
were
also
received
from
businesses
including
The
Standard,
Meat
Hive
Butchery
at
37
Third
Avenue
and
Lonnersden
Investments
at
49
Lobengula
Street.
Meanwhile,
a
complaint
of
a
persistent
sewer
blockage
at
Stand
6011
Emganwini
revealed
overflowing
gully
traps
at
three
households,
with
heavy
foul
smells
reported
around
the
area.
Two
drinking
water
samples
were
collected
for
laboratory
analysis.
At
Stand
5732
Emganwini,
inspectors
responding
to
a
complaint
of
sewer-contaminated
drinking
water
conducted
a
50-metre
radius
survey.
One
water
sample
was
described
as
“heavily
turbid
and
foul-smelling”
and
was
discarded
without
analysis.