News / National
Police clear Marondera of vendors
19 Sep 2018 at 07:21hrs | Views
Police in Marondera have removed all vendors from the streets and seized their goods, including newspapers on sale.
The blitz, which began on Monday, is meant to bring sanity to the streets following the cholera outbreak that has claimed at least 31 lives countrywide while thousands have been hospitalised.
As part of the blitz, illegal restaurants and fast food outlets were also shut down while vendors were told to go back home.
Mashonaland East provincial administrator Tavabarira Kutamahufa told journalists that the Civil Protection Unit has since been activated to combat the spread of the waterborne disease.
"We have also set up committees at district and ward levels to ensure everyone is aware of what they are expected to do to prevent infections and also in case one is infected," he said.
"Most of the unlicensed fast food outlets were ordered to close.
The licenced outlets are allowed to continue operating under strict supervision from health officials."
The province has recorded six cholera cases, with all victims having come from Harare. Three are admitted at Marondera Provincial Hospital, while the rest were discharged.
Marondera Municipality has also started testing borehole water to check for contamination.
Commenting on the blitz, Marondera Central MP, Caston Matewu of the MDC Alliance said the government should leave vendors on the streets as it was their only way of earning a living.
"There are no jobs being created by the government, therefore these vendors have a moral right to feed their families.
I will be engaging council and Minister of Local Government (July Moyo) to ensure vendors are allowed back on the streets until the economy stabilises," he said.
The blitz, which began on Monday, is meant to bring sanity to the streets following the cholera outbreak that has claimed at least 31 lives countrywide while thousands have been hospitalised.
As part of the blitz, illegal restaurants and fast food outlets were also shut down while vendors were told to go back home.
Mashonaland East provincial administrator Tavabarira Kutamahufa told journalists that the Civil Protection Unit has since been activated to combat the spread of the waterborne disease.
"We have also set up committees at district and ward levels to ensure everyone is aware of what they are expected to do to prevent infections and also in case one is infected," he said.
"Most of the unlicensed fast food outlets were ordered to close.
The province has recorded six cholera cases, with all victims having come from Harare. Three are admitted at Marondera Provincial Hospital, while the rest were discharged.
Marondera Municipality has also started testing borehole water to check for contamination.
Commenting on the blitz, Marondera Central MP, Caston Matewu of the MDC Alliance said the government should leave vendors on the streets as it was their only way of earning a living.
"There are no jobs being created by the government, therefore these vendors have a moral right to feed their families.
I will be engaging council and Minister of Local Government (July Moyo) to ensure vendors are allowed back on the streets until the economy stabilises," he said.
Source - newsday
