The Harare City Council (HCC) has re-opened Mbare Musika to the public to use free of charge after they had been privatised by criminal syndicates.
Harare Mayor Councillor Steward Mtizwa told ZBC News that all those who had converted public toilets into pay facilities are extortionists who face arrest.
Mtizwa said all toilets at Mbare Musika and in the central business district (CBD) are free except for one underground toilet at First Street which is a pay toilet. Said Mtizwa:
I want to make it clear that all toilets at Mbare are public and those in the CBD except for one underground toilet at First Street is a pay toilet.
Council has no agreement or any sort of partnership with those who claim that they have leases to privatise public toilets.
All those who were involved will face arrest as they are extorting people.
This comes as reports suggest that several council-owned properties have either been privatised or converted to personal use by individuals, thereby prejudicing the local authority of millions of dollars in potential revenue.