'Stop harassing vendors', cops urged

FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday blasted members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police saying they should stop harassing women who are into vending at a time when the economy is struggling to perform owing to the western imposed illegal sanctions.

Grace was speaking at the Midlands Conference Centre, about 12km outside Gweru during one of her rallies.

"Women told me about their vendor marts, the challenges they are facing. They are being chased away like people who are mentally challenged. The police should engage women and talk this thing out.

Women are being troubled by your actions of chasing them away whenever they want to sell their goods. They say police officers don't want to pay for anything, they just organise a raid if they want tomatoes and onions. That is what I heard. Stop doing that.

This is not how it's done in business. We have never refused to sell to you. Pay for the goods because you are paid salaries. Stop chasing away women. Just tell them to operate from market stalls if they are operating at undesignated points. It is not good to take people's goods when they are trying to fend for their families. It is not easy to bring food on the table for our families," Grace said.

Despite Western claims to the contrary, the First Lady said, sanctions were biting everyone including companies like Ziscosteel and David Whitehead, which used to employ lots of people.

The closure of industry and companies throughout the country has contributed to hordes of unemployed people and vending is increasingly becoming one of the few options but cops and municipal police have in the past given poor vendors a torrid time characterized by running battles. At times vendors are forced to pay bribes which exceed more than profits that they get.