Vendors snub new Mbare market

Vendors in Harare have continued to operate on illegal sites, ignoring government and council efforts to move them into a new market constructed by Masimba Holdings last year. Despite repeated attempts by authorities to enforce relocation, the vendors have resisted, engaging in confrontations with law enforcement officers.

Many of the vendors told the media that the fees charged for the new market are prohibitively high. The market, commissioned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was part of efforts to modernise trading spaces following a fire that destroyed numerous stalls, resulting in losses worth thousands of dollars.

City of Harare Small and Medium Enterprise Committee chair Cllr Denford Ngadziore said the contractor managing the market is charging more than $80 per stall, compared to the typical $30 normally paid by residents. He highlighted the high cost as a key reason why many vendors have refused to relocate, speaking in an interview with municipal reporter Kudakwashe Chibvuri.

The standoff underscores ongoing tensions between city authorities and informal traders, as the government seeks to modernise markets while vendors struggle with affordability and accessibility.