Vendors assault council police officers, oMakokoba

THERE was mayhem at the city centre in the afternoon as vendors ran amok and beat Bulawayo municipal police officers who were on a routine mission to raid the vendors' wares.

Out of an estimated 10 000 vendors in the city, only about 6 000 are registered with council.

Municipal police often raid the vendors and confiscate their wares.

Yesterday, in a scene reminiscent to a rabbit turning on a dog and biting it, the vendors turned the tables on the police.

The municipal police officers fled for dear life with scores of angry vendors in hot pursuit.

Witnesses said the municipal van almost caused an accident as it careened away from 6th Avenue and Fife Street with some police officers hanging on.

"Most of the officers were in plain clothes. They started grabbing vendors' wares at around 4pm. The vendors, as is the norm started running away but one of them stopped and said they should not run away from a handful of people."

"As the municipal police came charging at them expecting them to run away as usual, they got more than what they bargained for. The vendors turned on them and started hitting them. It was actually funny to see their disbelieving expressions turn to terror.

These municipal officers are very fit. They showed a good turn of speed as they ran to their vehicle. The driver was already speeding away as they caught up and piled into the back," said a witness.

Vendors told the news crew that they had grown tired of the municipal police.

"Whenever they go hungry they just descend on us. This morning one of our friends was fatally struck by a car as she crossed a busy street running away from them. They are heartless and fail to consider that we are fending for our families in a peaceful manner, instead of resorting to crime," said one of the vendors.