BULAWAYO City Council fired rubber bullets and used a fire engine to spray vendors with water after launching an operation to clear 5th Avenue of illegal activities in the early hours of yesterday, a move that has been backed by vendors’ associations.
Three municipal police officers and an unconfirmed number
of vendors were injured during the operation.
Vendors’ associations say some of those operating from 5th
Avenue are selling drugs and the space has barons who are being paid US$1 daily
by each unregistered vendor for the illegal activities to continue. Council
launched the operation on the same day that the Minister of Local Government
and Public Works July Moyo directed local authorities to enforce traffic
regulations and by laws in the country’s cities and towns.
In a statement, the Minister said local authorities must
address challenges of obstruction of traffic, among others by enlisting the
help of the police.
Following yesterday’s events, police said they had received
a report on the shooting incident and investigations were underway. Council’s
corporate communications manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the early morning raid
was part of council’s mandate to enforce by-laws.
“We are urging all informal traders to trade from
designated sites. The enforcement targets all unruly elements in the city. Some
of these occur outside business hours which include informal traders of no
fixed abode who live on the streets and sleep there. They also block roads
making them impassable,” said Mrs Mpofu.
“They further compromise the sanitation of the city as they
don’t have access to toilets and ablution facilities because they are operating
from undesignated sites.”
She said during the impasse, three council employees were
injured as disgruntled vendors retaliated by throwing stones at municipal
police.
“We are however yet to receive any reports of illegal
informal traders who were injured. The City of Bulawayo gives licences to
vendors operating from official vending sites and bays. Our licences bear the
vending site and bay numbers and so far there are no licences 5th Avenue
vending site,” she said.
Mrs Mpofu said vendors must trade at designated sites,
adding that one such site in Nkulumane suburb which is under construction is
expected to be completed by the end of next month.
“The market will ease congestion in the city centre which
is usually flooded by fruit and vegetable producers on a daily basis,” she said
It was business as usual later in the afternoon as vendors
returned to their bays
She said the market is expected to improve the livelihoods
of the community as a number of people will be employed in various market
activities.
“Members of the public are advised that 5th Avenue is a
public road for vehicular and pedestrian traffic and not a designated vending
site. We urge all informal traders to trade from designated sites. Informal
trading has to co-exist harmoniously with residents and other sectors in the
City of Bulawayo and also operate within the confines of City policies, By-Laws
and National laws. We also appeal to the members of the public to purchase from
designated informal traders,” added Mrs Mpofu.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said
municipal police faced resistance from about 800 vendors in the wee hours of
the day while trying to confiscate vending tables from those illegally trading
along 5th Avenue between Lobengula Street and Jason Moyo Streets.
“As municipal police were raiding tables and wares from
illegal vendors, they faced resistance from about 800 vendors who had already
started operating at the market. An altercation arose and a fire engine was
called to spray water as a means to disburse the crowds but they failed. One of
the municipal policemen fired rubber bullets at the vendors injuring them in
the process and a report was then made to us,” said Insp Ncube.
He said around 7AM, one of the vendors reported a shooting
incident at Bulawayo Central Police.
Insp Ncube said the injured vendors whose number still
cannot be confirmed and three council workers were rushed to United Bulawayo
Hospitals for medical attention. Chronicle
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