By Jawet Chiguvare
Mount Pleasant residents are up in arms against a trendy upmarket bottle store at Pendenis Shopping Centre — Liquor Boys — owned by socialite Genius Kadungure aka Ginimbi which they allege is responsible for littering and noise pollution.
In a Facebook post, a residents’ representative organisation — Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) professed their disquiet over the unpleasant environment around the bottle store.
“A bar owned by self-proclaimed business mogul Genius Kadungure aka Ginimbi has become a menace to residents of Mt Pleasant through littering, noise pollution and open defecation. The huge mountain of litter coupled by urine makes enough recipe for cholera outbreak in Mt Pleasant,” CHRA said.
Ginimbi’s manageress Wanisai Mutandwa popularly known as Mahwindo denied the accusation saying the bottle store is not responsible for littering and noise pollution but it is the children of Mt Pleasant residents who are responsible for the mess.
“Liquor Boys is not responsible for the littering and noise that takes place in the car park but it is the Mt Pleasant residents’ unemployed children who hang around the place and thereby leave the place as horrible as it is,” Mutandwa said.
“Besides, Harare City Council has not been collecting refuse for a long time hence the piling up of refuse at the place. Last year, in an effort to make sure the place is clean we once tried to remove the braai stands at that place which attract these merrymakers and there was an outcry by residents who did not want them removed. So we abandoned the programme and here comes the result.”
The Liquor Boys manageress added that they adhere to the by-laws of the city and the liquor licence.
“If anything we abide by the laws that govern our business. We open the bottle store in the morning and close doors at 8pm and have our staff do the stock take up to 9pm but if you come to this place around 1am there will still be people drinking and playing music in their cars which is not in any way our responsibility,” she added.
A resident who commented on the CHRA Facebook post concurred with Mahwindo saying the bottle store adheres to its opening and closing times.
“The bottle store closes at 8pm and the bar at 9pm but this does not stop the tail gaters in the car park. I have driven past at 12 midnight or 1 am and seen people there,” said the resident.
CHRA implored that there is need for unity of purpose in dealing with such issues as they affect everyone.
“Private sector and stakeholders should be part of solutions to the crisis of service delivery facing Zimbabwe and stop perpetuating the problem,” said CHRA adding that the failure by elected officials in particular councillors to act decisively on the matter and enforcement of by-laws is a disservice to the residents. DailyNews
