Deadly pesticide vendors take Bulawayo by storm

BULAWAYO City Council has admitted that it has no operational problems with scores of vendors who have flooded central business districts streets selling toxic substances in public as they have been given licenses by the relevant authority.

The vendors have taken over most street corners competing with newspaper, sweet and vegetable vendors.

Their  tag line is "Umuthi obulala amagundwane, amawuwu lempukane, khonapho khonapho (A pesticide that kills rats, cockroaches and flies instantly)".

The company is selling pesticides that kill rats, ants and flies among others.

They use loud speakers to market the products.

City mayor Martin Moyo said as long as the vendors are selling at designated points allocated by the city council, they won't take any action.

"I think there is nothing wrong with what they are doing as long they are selling their products in designated points of various streets that they were allocated by the city council," said Moyo.

Vendors employed by the firm said due to high unemployment levels they have no option but to sell the pesticides.

"We are just working for these guys and personally I do not know the name of the company we only receive our stuff from them in the mornings close to hyper or sometimes close to Tredgold building," Norman Gumbo said.