Residents in Mutorashanga are up in arms with authorities at the Zvimba Rural District Council after a recent announcement that a shopping centre serving more than 5 000 people was facing demolition.
The shopping centre, with state-of-the-art buildings already operating while some are still under construction, is a first in the area which was under the control of white commercial farmers before the government's land reform programme.
Mutorashanga has over the years failed to develop after successive political leaders failed to honour their pledges to push for a growth point status for the former mining town.
The initiative to build the shops at a former vegetable market place was mooted by concerned residents representatives with the aim of reducing the walking distance for people living in communities such as Tafara 1 to 3, No. 1 Village and surrounding farming communities.