Army engagement on vendors issue violates democracy

Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni has said the presence of the Zimbabwe National Army on the streets to deal with vendors was a serious violation of people's rights and democracy.

Harare Residents Trust reported that Manyenyeni condemned the move by the security forces after they on Monday declared and gave a seven days ultimatum for the vendors to vacate the city.

"Harare Mayor Manyenyeni said the presence of the army on the streets to deal with vendors is a slap in the faced of democracy," reported the Trust.

"The issue of the vendors should be viewed in the context of a symptom of a collapsed economy at the hands of the Government's handling of local and international investors."

The Trust said Manyenyeni said there is no amount of force will take away the fact that vendors are direct products of a challenging social and economic environment.

"Restore market confidence in the economy and industries will be revived. More jobs, less vendors! Fix the economy, vendors will disappear from the streets of Harare," reported the Trust.

The developments come at a time when close to 90 % of Zimbabwe's working class population is unemployed while industries continue to close due to poor policies implemented by the Zanu PF government led by President Robert Mugabe.