- Bulawayo City Council served demolition notices on 12 churches
- The structures were described as dilapidated or illegally built
- Most were in Nkulumane, with others in Emganwini, Tshabalala, Pumula East and Pelandaba
- The council also identified 47 dilapidated properties in the city centre
Bulawayo City Council in Zimbabwe issued demolition notices to 12 churches whose structures were dilapidated or illegally built, The Sunday News reported on January 9, 2022, in a report by Vusumuzi Dube.
The churches included the Zion Christian Church and The Living Gospel World Church in Emganwini, the Assemblies of God Church in Tshabalala, The Same God Apostles in Pumula East and the Holy Apostolic Church in Zion in Pelandaba. Seven were in Nkulumane: Johanne Masowe, Gospel Preaching Ministry, Potters House Christ Fellowship, the Apostolic Faith Mission of Zimbabwe, St Lukes United Methodist Church, Zaoga Church and New Birth Fellowship.
The council also identified 47 dilapidated properties in the central business district. Of these, 26 were work in progress, 15 were in court, 12 had partly complied with notices and two had taken no action. The council acts under the Titles Registration and Derelict Lands Act.
The notices put a dozen congregations at risk of losing buildings they had put up or allowed to decline.
Many Jamaican congregations also build in stages, sometimes without approved plans, and some buildings fall into poor repair as membership changes. Bulawayo’s action shows that local authorities can and do enforce building rules against churches. Congregations should get plans approved before building, finish structures safely, and keep up maintenance so that a building remains an asset rather than a liability.
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