High court grants vendors application against Chombo and Sekeramayi

Harare High Court Judge Justice Felistas Chatukuta has granted the application filed by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) representing the informal traders who sought to interdict Local Government Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo and Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi from evicting vendors from the city streets.

 Justice Chatukuta on Monday 08 June 2015 granted a consent order on an application filed by human rights lawyers representing some informal traders who sought to interdict Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo and Harare Mayor Bernard Manyenyeni from chasing away, or evicting and confiscating goods belonging to the informal traders or arresting them. This come at a time when the government has since extended the evictions to June 26.

The lawyers also sought an order to interdict Sekeramayi, Chombo and Manyenyeni from threatening the informal traders and want Sekeramayi to instruct the Joint Operations Command and other security service members to desist from "dealing" with the informal traders and not to interfere with their business activities in any way.

Full details of the order will be availed once it has been uplifted from the High Court.