Vendors vacate CBD

THERE was free flow of human and vehicular traffic in Gweru yesterday after vendors moved from pavements and road sides to designated selling points in line with an ultimatum issued by the local municipality last week.

Council also deployed its police in the Central Business District (CBD) to ensure that order prevails as the vendors relocated to a new vending site in the light industrial area near Swift.

Gweru is among cities and towns that have heeded President Mugabe's call for vendors to conduct their business at designated selling points.

Last week, Gweru City Council said vendors should have moved out of the streets by yesterday.

In a statement, town clerk, Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza said council was going to confiscate goods from vendors who defied the directive.

"Council will confiscate goods that are being sold at illegal vending points without further notice. No push carts are allowed in the Central Business District (CBD), including vehicles selling goods at undesignated areas. All illegal vendors who are trading on the streets of Gweru and need legal trading space should apply to council and move out of the streets immediately," she said.

Over the years, some vendors at illegal selling points in the city mainly in front of Choppies, OK and Pick and Pay Supermarkets have been resisting to move out of the CBD.

Others have sometimes complied with orders to move out of the CBD, only to resurface later.

Recently, the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Engineer George Mlilo, said the situation in Gweru was scaring away the much needed investment.