Zimbabwe intensifies illegal vending crackdown in Harare

GOVERNMENT has launched a zero-tolerance clean-up campaign in Harare dubbed "Chenesa Harare Final", as authorities intensify efforts to remove illegal street and night vendors from the capital's streets and relocate them to designated marketplaces.

The operation follows the expiry of a seven-day grace period given to illegal vendors to vacate the streets and move to approved trading sites.

For years, vendors have cited a shortage of suitable alternative trading spaces as one of the main challenges to relocating from the streets. However, authorities say several designated marketplaces in Harare have sufficient capacity to accommodate more traders.

The new Mbare Musika Traders Market, for instance, has 1 552 vending stalls, but only 338 are currently occupied.

According to the Harare City Council's internal Markets Database, 52 percent of the city's 17 660 vending stalls remain unoccupied.

Vendors operating legally from designated markets said the continued presence of street traders was undermining their businesses because customers were still patronising informal traders operating outside approved areas.

"All vendors must come here because right now the ones who are complying with the law appear to suffer the most losses because there are no customers here. People are out there, so all vendors must come here," one vendor said.

Another vendor said: "We are not making money because of our fellow vendors in the street. We are simply saying if people come here, we all make money the right way because if the customer knows we are all found here, they will simply come here."

The seven-day grace period announced by Government last week expired on Wednesday, paving the way for the launch of the clean-up operation led by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe.

The initial operation involved the dismantling of illegal vending structures, with municipal police deployed to prevent traders from reoccupying the cleared areas.

Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said authorities were initially focusing on persuasion and giving vendors an opportunity to relocate voluntarily.

"At this point, this operation is largely persuasive; we are still in the early stages, and we are giving everyone a chance to move to the designated sites. Yes, we know the concerns that there are not enough," he said.

Minister Garwe said the campaign was not intended to destroy livelihoods but to restore order in Harare and other urban centres as Government pursues its Vision 2030 agenda.

"This operation is not about destroying livelihoods; it is not about disrupting families. It is about restoring order in the capital city and across the entire country as we strive to achieve Vision 2030," he said.

Garwe also said municipal police would not confiscate vendors' goods during the operation.

"Look, the municipal police will not confiscate any wares of the vending public. We reiterate that we want to ensure that order is restored," he said.

More than 300 municipal police officers are expected to begin patrols in Harare's Central Business District from Friday as authorities move to enforce the clean-up campaign.

The Government also plans to roll out similar operations across the country's other nine provinces, with the campaign expected to target illegal vending and the occupation of public spaces.