Moshi municipality demolishes controversial buildings

Moshi. Moshi Municipal Council planning officials and auxiliary police have started supervising the demolition of business buildings.

The municipality accuses the building owners of putting up such structures illegally between December 23 and 26 at Kiusa, Bondeni and Mawenzi wards, prompting councilors to call on authorities to pull them down.

According to the town planning laws and a comprehensive plan, it is unlawful for any person to renovate an old building or construct non-storey buildings in the wards.

Today at 9am the town planning officials and the auxiliary police arrived at one of the buildings, wanting its owners to demolish it.

They ordered that failure to do so municipal authorities would pull it down at the owner’s cost.

After short talks, the owners of the building situated along Sokoni Drive near the Umoja Hostel agreed to demolish it, starting with the removal of iron sheets.

However, the building owners were cagey to talk to reporters.

The municipality’s planning committee chairman, Mr Tonny Ndewawio, said the buildings were either constructed or given a facelift unlawfully.

 “We directed the municipal council to issue a stop order. Later, the property owners were given demolition orders, but they did pull their structures down. That’s why we have been prompted to ensure that they are demolished,” said Mr Ndewawio.

He warned that all structures build illegally would be flattened.

Last week Moshi mayor Raymond Mboya likened the construction of the buildings illegally to hooliganism as the laws were clear and no permits had been issued.