By Albert Masaka

THE BORROWDALE Residents and Ratepayers Association (BRRA) has welcomed recent environmental and structural improvements at shopping centres in Harare’s affluent suburb, attributing the progress to “Operation Chenesa Harare”—a government-backed urban clean up and anti-vending blitz in Zimbabwe’s capital.

The government initiative being carried out by the City of Harare aims to remove illegal street vendors, dismantle unauthorised roadside and pavement structures, clear informal markets from the Central Business District (CBD), and address pressing public health and congestion issues.

BRRA Chairman Robert Mutyasira last week said that association representatives were recently invited by local council officials to conduct an assessment tour of the area’s shopping centres. During the tour, Mutyasira implored business operators to strictly adhere to municipal by-laws.

“We are pleased to see improvements at our shopping centres, and we wish to commend the ongoing ‘Operation Chenesa Harare’ as a positive move towards restoring the glamour of our city and neighbourhoods,” he said.

“On the local front, our councillor, regional manager, district officer, and their teams are working frantically to ensure the attained standards are maintained,” he added. “Just yesterday, they invited us as they went around shopping centres compelling complex and shop owners to adhere to by-laws, maintain buildings, replace signage, and clean up their immediate environments. It was disturbing to see how shop owners expect to conduct business in such filthy conditions.”

Following the tour, Mutyasira said his association has lodged an appeal with the local authority to allocate designated marketplace zones for vendors in Glen Lorne and Helensvale. The move aims to minimise the risk of informal traders resurfacing on street corners and roadsides.

“For the benefit of our communities, and if such market spaces are allocated, it may be necessary to crowd-fund for the construction of markets suitable for our neighbourhood.”

The BRRA is also actively funding local infrastructure repairs. The association is currently fixing a bus stop shelter along Liberation Legacy Way next to TotalEnergies Helensvale, which was previously destroyed in a bus accident. The area behind the shelter, which had been occupied by informal traders, is now earmarked for aesthetic upgrades.

“A new occupant has been identified, and plans are underway to secure their occupancy. The Roads, Traffic and Transportation departments from the City of Harare are also expected to move in soon to improve the surroundings and regulate traffic, especially at Helensvale,” Mutyasira said.

Looking ahead, the BRRA chief advised residents that on the first Friday of November 2026, the association will spearhead an initiative to pull down all unauthorized real estate and advertising signage along roads and street corners, coinciding with national clean-up activities.

“If your area is infested with these unsightly and distracting materials, please notify us well before the date,” Mutyasira urged. “Assistance from residents is welcome as we need transport and labour, while the municipality will provide oversight and security.”