Harare evicts Mbare roadside vendors

The City of Harare has evicted roadside vendors operating in Mbare as part of efforts to restore order and ease traffic congestion in the high-density suburb.

Ward 4 Mbare Councillor Boniface Maburutse confirmed the operation, saying vendors had encroached onto roads, creating safety risks and obstructing the free movement of traffic.

According to Cllr Maburutse, council teams cleared vendors from areas around Shawasha Grounds, Cripps Road and Remembrance Drive. Vendors operating around Mupedzanhamo were also targeted.

However, the operation was halted after council officials encountered resistance from suspected CCC youths near the main entrance to Mupedzanhamo.

"When they were clearing towards the main gate at Mupedzanhamo, they faced resistance from CCC youths who threw stones, forcing the operation to be stopped due to the violence," he said.

Cllr Maburutse said the youths later attacked his office and damaged property, accusing him of being behind the crackdown.

He also raised concern over the activities of space barons, who he said had become a major problem in Mbare by allegedly charging vendors for trading spaces, including areas that encroach onto public roads.

"We want our vendors to sell their wares because they are the ones who voted for us, but for them to sell their wares while encroaching onto the tarred roads poses many risks and results in a lack of order," he said.

The councillor said the council was not opposed to vendors earning a living but wanted them to operate from designated areas where trading could take place safely and legally.

He further accused space barons of exploiting vendors by collecting money in exchange for illegal trading spaces, a practice he said was contributing to disorder in the suburb.

The operation highlights the ongoing challenge faced by local authorities in balancing the livelihoods of informal traders with the need to maintain public safety, orderly urban planning and unobstructed roads.