The directive
comes in response to a significant surge in night vending over recent months,
which has led to increased pedestrian traffic, widespread littering, and
disruption to established businesses operating within central business
districts.
“The ZRP stands
ready to assist municipalities and towns to enforce the ultimatum given to
vendors by the Government. No one is above the law and ZRP will make sure that
vendors abide by the laws of the country,” said national police spokesperson
Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
In the past,
council police in cities such as Bulawayo and Harare, alongside the ZRP, have
engaged in running battles with illegal vendors in attempts to clear them from
central business districts.
Commissioner
Nyathi emphasised that there will be no preferential treatment in the vendor
clean-up across all municipalities and towns. The ZRP, working in conjunction
with municipal police and other security agencies, will enforce the Government
directive without exception.
In Bulawayo,
vendors are a persistent problem in several streets, including Fort Street and
the corner of Leopold Takawira Street, opposite Tredgold Building, where they
sell cooked food to overnight travellers to Harare, as well as taxi drivers and
touts. Sixth Avenue has also become a problematic area, transforming into a
haven for illegal vendors selling cooked food, beef products, chicken cuts, and
even illicit alcohol.
Vendors have
also encroached upon the corner of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and Fifth
Avenue, where shoppers queue for dairy products such as yoghurt, milk, and
amasi, as well as juices.
Opposite
TM/Pick n Pay Hyper, the area becomes a hive of activity as darkness falls,
with numerous vendors descending onto street pavements to sell groceries and
second-hand clothes. At the corner of Leopold Takawira and Herbert Chitepo,
vendors selling sneakers, vegetables, bread, and eggs on street pavements feel
secure once municipal police finish their shift at 5PM.
Bulawayo City
Council has announced that vendors operating illegally will be allocated
vending bays at Egodini Terminus and the Bhaktas’ Taxi Rank along Lobengula
Street.
“For the last
two months, council has been working on modalities to relocate illegal vendors
to bays at Egodini Terminus and Bhaktas’ Taxi Rank where there are enough
vending bays. The ultimatum by Government to clear all illegal vendors came at
the right time and council will abide by the directive.
“In the next
few hours (yesterday evening) council municipal police chiefs will be meeting
other security agencies to work out how the Government directive will be
enforced. Illegal vending is a scourge that brings with it chaos in the city,
makes driving in the streets a nightmare and causes a lot of littering, which
is unhealthy,” said Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu.
Minister Garwe
highlighted that illegal vending perpetuates unsanitary conditions as vendors
operate in areas without potable water and ablution facilities.
“The unsanitary
conditions pose significant risks for disease outbreaks such as typhoid,
dysentery and cholera. Furthermore, the accumulation of waste from these
vendors has rendered some roads, sanitary lanes, and sidewalks impassable,
exacerbating public health and security issues.
“In light of
these pressing issues, the Government is directing all local authorities to
clear vendors from undesignated points within 48 hours. During this operation,
local authorities will be supported by law enforcement agents to ensure the
maintenance of law and order,” said Minister Garwe.
Minister Garwe
reiterated the Government’s commitment to creating a safe, clean, and orderly
environment for all citizens.
“In the matrix
of small to medium enterprises, even in our laws, there is no provision for
night trading in our cities.
There is no
room for creating capacity for night vendors. Zimbabwe is an economy which
operates during the day so we are not going to create a night economy which is
driving hate, drug abuse, illicit deals and a lot of ugly issues. For our
vendors who operate during the day, we have existing facilities where they can
go and operate from,” he said. Chronicle
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