Tuesday 8 June 2021

JUJU DRAMA AS BULLDOZERS RAZE MARKET STALLS


Demolitions of informal traders’ stalls at Mbudzi roundabout were temporally halted Monday after a suspected juju case at one of the stalls.

A mechanical failure of the bulldozer trusted to do the work was blamed on juju, attracting multitudes of onlookers and giving some traders time to unpack their wares.

One of the unregistered traders identified as King Irie confronted the clamp down team led by municipal police when they reached his stall.

He challenged the municipal police arguing why they were also targeting people living with disabilities.

“You can’t destroy my property, at least show mercy on my business. This is my only source of livelihood. This will not end well,” said King Irie attracting wild cheers.

Immediately after the confrontation the bulldozer developed a mechanical fault, before completing demolitions at King Irie’s spot.

Witnesses claimed they saw one young man splashing traditional snuff at the bulldozer loader before disappearing into the crowd. The bulldozer developed a mechanical fault, before completing demolitions at King Irie’s spot.

H-Metro spoke to some of the affected traders, Jesman Gumira, who said: “I have lost a lot of money most of my investment has just been destroyed in my watch.

“I didn’t hear of the warning and I was going about my work as any other day and had no time to unpack most of my things.”

A food vendor said her problems had just mounted. “I was surviving off selling sadza to travellers and now they have destroyed my only hope of earning a living.

“I have tried to get a proper lease with council but the queues are too long and sometimes traders are turned away.

“There is no proper communication as to when the council grants licences so I was just operating to fend for my family,” said Memory Jumbe.

The ongoing demolitions came to effect on Monday through a joint operation involving the Harare City Council, Chitungwiza Municipality, Ruwa Local Board, Epworth Local Board, ZRP and Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.

The demolitions started on Monday targeting car sales and unregistered informal traders Government is targeting unregistered informal traders who are in the car sales, furniture, bricks, sand and quarry stones business operating along road servitudes.

A final notice for the unregistered traders to vacate the servitudes was ordered by Government last Thursday.

A similar clamp down was also conducted at Machipisa in Highfield where police were targeting Mushikashika. H Metro

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