Street vendors defy govt crackdown

STREET vendors in Harare have resumed trading from undesignated sites despite a Government directive ordering them to vacate illegal vending areas, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation over informal trading in the capital.

The defiance comes after Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe threatened a nationwide crackdown on illegal vending following a seven-day ultimatum which ended on September 10.

Last week, Garwe toured Harare's central business district and surrounding areas, where he ordered street vendors operating from undesignated sites to move to approved trading spaces.

However, traders have since returned to their usual spots, arguing that they have limited alternatives and depend on street trading for their livelihoods.

Some vendors said they could not simply abandon their trading locations without viable alternative spaces where they could continue earning a living.

Advocacy groups have similarly called on authorities to provide adequate and accessible alternative trading sites before launching any enforcement operation against informal traders.

Government, however, maintains that illegal vending is contributing to the deterioration of urban order and sanitation in major towns and cities.

Authorities have urged traders operating from undesignated areas to relocate to designated markets and approved vending bays.

The renewed return of vendors to the streets is likely to test Government's resolve to enforce the directive, while also highlighting the broader challenge of balancing urban order with the livelihoods of thousands of informal traders who depend on street commerce.