Harare closes Cosmopolitan Bar over alleged ZIMRA tax arrears and licence breaches
Harare closes Cosmopolitan Bar over alleged ZIMRA tax arrears and licence breaches
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Harare City Council has shut down Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Bar in Alexandra Park, citing alleged tax non-compliance and failure to meet licensing requirements for hospitality businesses.
In a report published by Express Mail Zim, council officials said the outlet owed the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) more than US$14,000 in unpaid taxes and did not have a valid tax clearance certificate at the time of inspection.
The council also said the operator failed to produce a Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) certificate, which the local authority described as a compulsory requirement for commercial hospitality enterprises.
“This is a clear case of deliberate non-compliance,” a council official was quoted as saying. “The operator has been evading basic statutory obligations while continuing to trade illegally.”
The closure was further linked to an expired liquor licence that, according to the report, had not been renewed since 29 July 2024. Council officials also said supporting documents usually required for liquor licence renewal, including a health inspection report and a ZIMRA tax clearance certificate, were not produced during the inspection.
Another council official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the enforcement action was intended to send a wider message to the hospitality sector.
“We are sending a strong message that no establishment, regardless of its connections, is above the law,” the official was quoted as saying.
A closure notice has since been placed at the premises instructing the business to stop operating with immediate effect until compliance requirements are met.
The shutdown comes amid a reported dispute involving prominent businessman Bruce Chiyangwa of Pinnacle Holdings, who has been in a legal battle with the establishment over ownership and operational issues. The city council, however, said the action formed part of an ongoing compliance blitz targeting restaurants and bars across Harare, and it was not clear from the report whether the Cosmopolitan closure was directly linked to the litigation.
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