News / Local
BCC, vendors on collision course
01 Dec 2015 at 01:00hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and informal traders are on a collision course over threats by the former to launch a blitz on all illegal vending activities. Acting Town Clerk, Sikhangele Zhou, said yesterday the local authority will prosecute all vendors who are operating from undesignated sites.
Informal traders on one hand feel council "isn't being fair" on them claiming they were still waiting for feedback on when they will be allocated official vending bays.
"Further to our initial notice to you August 7, 2015, the public is hereby advised that there'll be a blitz on all illegal vending activities as from December 1, 2015," Zhou warned yesterday.
"As such, illegal vendors are strongly warned to desist from trading in undesignated areas as council will prosecute all offenders." She said registered informal traders who had abandoned their bays or those who were no longer paying council fees, were advised to return to their sites and regularise their operations today.
Zhou said those who've been successfully issued with trading licences will be allocated bays at designated areas. "Vending bays are allocated subject to availability at areas of preference by applicants," she said.
However, Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association's (BVTA) coordinator, Thabang Nare, said the council's stance was unfair. "We don't understand how the local authority has come up with this plan to attack vendors without addressing the issue of vending sites shortages," said Nare.
"Last time we met with the council as an association, BCC was still looking into the issue of vending sites where it was exploring areas suitable to be alternative spots to accommodate the vendors."
He claimed council had scheduled to look into the matter on the first Wednesday of December (tomorrow) when it sits for the full council meeting. Nare said this was the time of the year when vendors were targeting to earn more as people spend for the festive season.
"BCC should be more considerate and come up with suitable vending sites first where traders can easily reach their customers because this is the time of the year when people spend more. So it means more business for the informal traders," he said. The operation is an effort by the Bulawayo City Council's to bring sanity into the city.
Informal traders on one hand feel council "isn't being fair" on them claiming they were still waiting for feedback on when they will be allocated official vending bays.
"Further to our initial notice to you August 7, 2015, the public is hereby advised that there'll be a blitz on all illegal vending activities as from December 1, 2015," Zhou warned yesterday.
"As such, illegal vendors are strongly warned to desist from trading in undesignated areas as council will prosecute all offenders." She said registered informal traders who had abandoned their bays or those who were no longer paying council fees, were advised to return to their sites and regularise their operations today.
Zhou said those who've been successfully issued with trading licences will be allocated bays at designated areas. "Vending bays are allocated subject to availability at areas of preference by applicants," she said.
However, Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association's (BVTA) coordinator, Thabang Nare, said the council's stance was unfair. "We don't understand how the local authority has come up with this plan to attack vendors without addressing the issue of vending sites shortages," said Nare.
"Last time we met with the council as an association, BCC was still looking into the issue of vending sites where it was exploring areas suitable to be alternative spots to accommodate the vendors."
He claimed council had scheduled to look into the matter on the first Wednesday of December (tomorrow) when it sits for the full council meeting. Nare said this was the time of the year when vendors were targeting to earn more as people spend for the festive season.
"BCC should be more considerate and come up with suitable vending sites first where traders can easily reach their customers because this is the time of the year when people spend more. So it means more business for the informal traders," he said. The operation is an effort by the Bulawayo City Council's to bring sanity into the city.
Source - chronicle
