Government gives illegal vendors seven days to vacate streets as nationwide clean‑up looms

Government has issued a stern warning to illegal vendors operating on undesignated sites, giving them until 9 September 2026 to vacate the streets ahead of a nationwide clean‑up operation targeting illegal vending and informal trading.


The directive was announced on Wednesday by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who said the operation would begin in Harare before being rolled out to other cities, towns and urban settlements across Zimbabwe.

Garwe said illegal vending in Harare’s central business district and surrounding areas had reached “unacceptable levels”, citing concerns over sanitation, obstruction of public pathways, congestion, public safety and disruption of formal businesses. “The current state of disorderliness on the streets is not tolerable,” he said.

He stressed that while Government recognises informal trading as an important livelihood avenue, it must take place within municipal by‑laws and at legally designated marketplaces. “This should be within the bounds of municipal by‑laws and at legally designated marketplaces,” he said.

Garwe ordered vendors operating from unauthorised areas to immediately relocate to designated vending markets provided by local authorities. “All vendors engaging in illegal street and night trading have until Wednesday, 9 September 2026, to vacate these unauthorised sites,” he said.

From 9 September, the Ministry — working with other Government ministries, departments and agencies — will launch what Garwe described as a comprehensive, zero‑tolerance operation against illegal vending sites across Harare and the broader Harare Metropolitan Province. “All illegal vending structures, stalls and sites will be completely disbanded,” he said.

Municipal police will remain deployed after the operation to prevent cleared areas from being reoccupied. The clean‑up will then move beyond Harare to other urban centres as Government seeks to restore public order, cleanliness and trafficability.

Garwe said the exercise aligns urban management with the National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030 aspirations. He urged informal traders to comply voluntarily to avoid losing their merchandise. “We strongly urge all informal traders to utilize this window and comply with the directive voluntarily,” he said.

Local authorities have been instructed to facilitate the immediate registration and orderly placement of compliant traders into designated vending structures. Garwe said Government remained committed to creating a sustainable, orderly, clean and safe macroeconomic environment.

The planned operation comes amid rising informal trading activity in Zimbabwe’s urban centres, where thousands rely on vending for daily income. While Government says the exercise aims to restore order and protect public health and safety, its implementation is expected to significantly affect informal traders who depend on street vending for survival.

This development feeds into broader national debates around urban management and informal economy regulation.