Zanu-PF affiliate incites chaos in Bulawayo

A Zanu-PF-affiliated group representing informal traders has told illegal street vendors in Bulawayo that they will not be removed from the city streets, despite growing concerns over littering, open defecation, and public health hazards.

The dispute comes after Bulawayo City Council (BCC) Ward 3 councillor, Mxolisi Mahlangu, described the proliferation of illegal vendors as a "health time bomb" during a full council meeting last month. He directed his concerns to Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, highlighting that unchecked informal trading was detrimental to public order.

However, in a recent announcement, the group Vendors4ED instructed street vendors to remain at their trading points, citing political protection.

"Every vendor in the streets today: don't go anywhere; stay where you are. You will be verified at your cell; we know your Zanu-PF cell," the notice read.

"No one will remove you from your workplaces. You are protected by Vendors for ED 100 percent."

Vendors4ED further urged all vendors to get verified, adding:

"We are sons and daughters of the Zanu-PF National People's Party. No cent or enemy threat can buy us away from Zanu-PF. Our blood is Zanu-PF."

Bulawayo has seen a sharp rise in illegal vendors, some reportedly brought from areas like Masvingo and Harare ahead of the 2023 elections. Attempts by the council to remove them have been unsuccessful, amid claims that ruling party officials are shielding the traders from enforcement action.

Councillor Mahlangu emphasized the public health risks posed by the situation:

"Even those visitors who sleep under trucks and practice open defecation, they belong to Bulawayo. But we cannot have a city where people behave as in the olden days. Our drainage systems are poor. Water is flooding and moving feces everywhere. Surely, are we not in danger of cholera? Are we not in danger of typhoid?"

He called for urgent involvement of all stakeholders to address the situation before a potential outbreak of disease, stressing that the council was being forced to use its limited resources to clean up waste from people who do not pay for municipal services.

"When we engage, we are not seeking publicity or popularity at the expense of people's lives," Mahlangu said. "This country is never prepared for any ailment when there's an outbreak. Can you imagine a diarrhoea outbreak here?"

The standoff highlights the ongoing tension between political influence and public service delivery in Bulawayo, raising questions about law enforcement, urban management, and public health in the city.