HARARE – Building owners in Harare’s central business district will soon be fined or have their properties closed if they do not place refuse bins outside their premises within 14 days, council has warned.

“The City of Harare would like to notify building owners, business premises owners and other stakeholders that they are within the next 14 days required to have bins outside their premises,” read a council statement Friday.

“This is with immediate effect and building owners who do not comply with this within the stipulated period will not only be fined but will have their buildings closed.

“This notice is issued in accordance with the Harare Statutory Instrument 158/86 Anti-Litter By-Law.

“The City will enforce law until every building owner complies with the directive.”

Ward 7 Councillor Rosemary Muronda said the move was part of attempts by authorities to restore cleanliness in a city now burdened with unsightly heaps of uncollected garbage.

“We are launching an anti-litter campaign next week which is an awareness on implementations of littering before enforcement.

“We need to engage, educate, encourage and enforce.”

She added, “We have a refuse compactor which was doing night dump clearance in the CBD. That truck will be collecting and emptying bins daily in town.”

Authorities have work cut out as the once sunshine city is now teeming with vendors daily in a lot of pavements.

Many of them often abandon their litter on the pavements.