Gwanda Council continues to clash with vendors

Gwanda Municipality continues to clash with informal vendors in the town with no solution to the problem in site.

This week when everyone was busy doing their last minute Christmas shopping and all businesses booming from the rush, council was busy arresting vendors and confiscating their wares. Municipal Police with the help of some officers from the ZRP were seen busy "cleaning up" the streets of street vendors and bungling those caught into the back of council and police vehicles.

The clean up exercise has angered the residents who are accusing the newly elected council of intolerance and not being pro people especially the poor. "This council is very inconsiderate. We make a living out of vending and they are chasing us away from our vending places when they don't provide us with alternative areas to operate from." Said a vendor.

"Right now they disconnected our water supplies at home for non payment when we go out to look for money to pay they close us out again. What kind of city fathers are these?" Fumed a vendor identified as Suku Tshuma. " We don't know what they do with the wares that they confiscate and worse the wives of police officers are spared the raids. This council is corrupt" added another male vendor who refused to be identified.

In an interview, the Deputy Mayor of the town Mr Albert Ndlovu indicated that council was not "fighting" with the vendors but was merely moving them from undesignated vending areas. He further indicated that council was open to negotiations with the vendors on a way forward than to resist council operations.

"We are merely stopping the vendors from vending in the streets to vending at designated areas. People are always free to approach us and we discuss the issue." Said councillor Ndlovu.

Comment could not be sourced from the spokesperson of the newly established Gwanda Residents Association as his mobile phone was being answered by his daughter who indicated that her father was at the Gwanda Prison Officers Canteen for a Christmas party.

Meanwhile, the Gwanda Mayor's Christmas cheer fund has distributed Christmas goodies to the tune of $3000 to the less privileged members of the community. Though the fund did not reach the targeted $5000 the deputy mayor Mr Albert Ndlovu was grateful to the Gwanda community especially the business community for donating to the cause.