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Harare deploys special police unit against vendors
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The City of Harare has announced the creation of a new municipal police unit tasked with raiding illegal traders and arresting litterbugs in the central business district (CBD). This move is part of the city's ongoing efforts to restore order and cleanliness to the capital.
The decision was unveiled during a meeting at Town House on Thursday, where Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume explained that the new unit would be focused on enforcing anti-litter by-laws and addressing the growing concerns surrounding illegal street vending.
"We have created a special unit in our municipal police, that is going to be enforcing anti-litter by-laws," Mafume said. "Certainly, in other countries, you don't roast maize in the middle of town and so forth. These are the things that we are going to be planning back on with the special units of the police to make sure that the areas are clean."
In addition to tackling littering, the mayor emphasized that the municipality was committed to addressing the needs of informal traders by providing designated, safe vending spaces. "We need to have some streets where we do not permit anyone to sell anything in the market or anywhere. Other streets we can agree, after consultation with the informal sector and the residents, where we can allow them to be able to do the same implementation for designated areas," Mafume explained. The goal, he said, was to establish clear policies and provide structure to the informal sector.
However, the new initiative has sparked some criticism, particularly from advocacy groups who argue that the city council is not doing enough to address the root causes of the informal economy. Ruben Akili, director of the Combined Harare Residents Association, criticized the local authority for its failure to provide adequate vending spaces, blaming the council for the lawlessness in the CBD.
"The local authority probably spends more on enforcing rather than constructing markets," Akili said. "It is very important that resources are channeled towards building markets in areas where these people can be allowed to do their work."
The rise in informal trading has been attributed to Zimbabwe's struggling economy, with many individuals turning to street vending as a means of survival due to high unemployment rates and the closure of businesses. While there are no official statistics on the number of informal traders in Harare, estimates suggest the figure runs into the thousands.
With the new municipal police unit now in operation, the city will be under increased scrutiny as authorities clamp down on illegal trading and littering. However, as pressure mounts to address the informal sector's needs, many residents and traders are hoping for a more sustainable solution that includes proper market spaces for vendors to ply their trade legally.
The decision was unveiled during a meeting at Town House on Thursday, where Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume explained that the new unit would be focused on enforcing anti-litter by-laws and addressing the growing concerns surrounding illegal street vending.
"We have created a special unit in our municipal police, that is going to be enforcing anti-litter by-laws," Mafume said. "Certainly, in other countries, you don't roast maize in the middle of town and so forth. These are the things that we are going to be planning back on with the special units of the police to make sure that the areas are clean."
In addition to tackling littering, the mayor emphasized that the municipality was committed to addressing the needs of informal traders by providing designated, safe vending spaces. "We need to have some streets where we do not permit anyone to sell anything in the market or anywhere. Other streets we can agree, after consultation with the informal sector and the residents, where we can allow them to be able to do the same implementation for designated areas," Mafume explained. The goal, he said, was to establish clear policies and provide structure to the informal sector.
"The local authority probably spends more on enforcing rather than constructing markets," Akili said. "It is very important that resources are channeled towards building markets in areas where these people can be allowed to do their work."
The rise in informal trading has been attributed to Zimbabwe's struggling economy, with many individuals turning to street vending as a means of survival due to high unemployment rates and the closure of businesses. While there are no official statistics on the number of informal traders in Harare, estimates suggest the figure runs into the thousands.
With the new municipal police unit now in operation, the city will be under increased scrutiny as authorities clamp down on illegal trading and littering. However, as pressure mounts to address the informal sector's needs, many residents and traders are hoping for a more sustainable solution that includes proper market spaces for vendors to ply their trade legally.
Source - newsday
