A week after a Bulawayo building that housed popular fast food outlet Nando’s collapsed and killed one person, it has emerged that 35 more buildings in the city were condemned and need urgent attention to avert similar incidents.

However, it has also emerged that the collapsed building that housed Nandos was not among those that had been condemned, raising further fears that there could be more buildings facing structural defects but that have not been identified.

Bulawayo council spokesperson Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, in written responses, said the local authority has raised a red flag on 35 buildings in the city and immediately ordered occupants and owners to take remedial action on the identified defects.

Although she could not give the names of the condemned buildings she said the Nando’s building that collapsed was not on the condemned list of buildings as at 31 December 2016.

“Regular building inspections are done to all buildings in the city and should defects be noted on any of these buildings, including those with historic merit, corrective measures that ensure safety, stability and preservation of historic outlook are prescribed to the owners of such buildings. “In the event of any authority for construction works, maintenance or alterations being granted, standard building by-laws, applicable to any and all construction projects are applicable, such as the Model Building By-Laws (1977) in ensuring best design and construction standards are adhered to as well as the safety of the public.

As at the 31st December 2016, 35 buildings were condemned,” said Mrs Mpofu. Regarding the Nando’s incident, Mrs Mpofu declined to comment on council investigations on the cause of the collapse.

“The building had not been condemned. Further information should be obtained from the owners of the business who have engaged a structural engineer to produce a professional assessment on the matter,” said Mrs Mpofu. She said some by-laws which govern the state of buildings in the CBD are the Model Building By-Laws of Zimbabwe 1977, Bulawayo Buildings, Roads and Street By-Laws 1971, the Architects’ Act and the Urban Councils Act. She said whenever council noted some anomalies within buildings they issue notices to property owners advising on the course of action to be done to rectify them.-state media