Harare Vendor Crackdown Exposes Rift Between Govt and City Council

By Loyd Matare

Chaos and confusion have engulfed Harare following a dramatic U-turn by Mayor Jacob Mafume, who has come out strongly against the government’s ultimatum ordering vendors to vacate the streets within 48 hours.

His criticism has put him at odds with the government which he aided in planning to push the crackdown, backed by police reinforcements.

The ultimatum, announced earlier this week, was spearheaded by Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, who declared that law enforcement would aid in restoring order in the capital.

Garwe justified the move as part of a broader effort to “restore sanity” in Harare’s central business district, where unlicensed vendors have flooded pavements, selling everything from fresh produce to electronics.

However, in a surprising twist, Mafume has now openly criticized the approach, accusing municipal police of acting as “glorified bouncers” and condemning the heavy-handed tactics used to remove vendors.

“We know and we have got the templates on how municipal police should behave and treat citizens.

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“Municipal police are not glorified bouncers, whereby they are supposed to be bouncers wearing uniforms and beating up people.

“They are there for a purpose—to maintain law and order within the city and ensure that every citizen, no matter what they do, is treated fairly, Mafume said.

His remarks have deepened the divide between Harare City Council and the central government, exposing the lack of coordination in handling the city’s long-standing problem of informal traders.

The latest crackdown comes as thousands of vendors, pushed into informal trading by Zimbabwe’s economic crisis, fight to make ends meet.

With an unemployment rate estimated to be over 80%, many citizens have resorted to vending as their only means of survival.

From dawn till dusk, vendors line the streets of Harare, braving harsh weather and harassment from authorities just to put food on the table.

Their plight has fueled public outrage, with social media erupting in criticism of the government’s move to forcibly remove them without offering alternative trading spaces.

Human rights activists, opposition figures, and ordinary citizens have taken to social media to slam the evictions as cruel and shortsighted. Many argue that instead of punishing vendors, the government should address the root cause of the crisis—the lack of formal employment opportunities.

“45 years after Independence and you have failed to create jobs, failed to create a stable currency, failed to keep industries open, failed to create a conducive environment for business, failed to provide opportunities.

“Instead of apologizing for your failure to do the basics required of any government, you are beating up vendors for trying to salvage whatever dignity is left of their lives by buying and selling wares.

“We would not have a vending crisis if the government was able to run a functional economy that afforded fairness and opportunity for all. You promised the people Gutsaruzhinji but have given us Hutsinye kuvazhinji. It’s a mess,” former opposition MP and lawyer, Fadzayi Mahere lamented.

The situation remains tense, with some vendors vowing to resist eviction. Meanwhile, Harare City Council appears increasingly at odds with the government, raising concerns over how the crackdown will unfold in the coming days.

With no clear solution in sight, the standoff between vendors, city authorities, and the central government threatens to spiral into further unrest, underscoring Zimbabwe’s deep-seated economic and governance challenges.