Showdown Looms: City of Harare Heads for Clash with Defiant Vendors

By Loyd Matare

Harare City Council will embark on yet another operation to rid the central business district of vendors, a move that has become all too familiar in the city’s history of attempted clean-ups.

Tonight’s operation, spearheaded by the council and supported by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), aims to flush out vendors who have become a permanent fixture in the city’s streets.

The operation is the latest in a series of attempts to restore order in the city as housing director Addmore Nhekairo noted, “We had a meeting with the (local government) ministry on zero vending in the CBD whose operation starts Wednesday night.”

Nhekairo emphasized the need for resources to ensure the operation’s success, adding that it is a “serious initiative that will be supported by the ZRP”.

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The city’s struggles with vending are compounded by Zimbabwe’s high unemployment rate, which has driven even graduates to sell goods on the streets.

Despite numerous attempts to clean up the city, including Operation Chenesa Harare and Operation Murambatsvina, vendors continue to operate, often fleeing from council vehicles that confiscate their wares and arrest them.

Last year, health services director Prosper Chonzi acknowledged the council’s failure to deal with illegal vending, citing the state of Zimbabwe’s economy as a major obstacle.

“The general economy is playing against us; we have been playing hide and seek after vendors, and it is not working,” Chonzi said.

As the city gears up for a showdown with informal traders tonight, the outcome hangs in the balance – either the city will assert its authority or vendors will continue their winning streak.

AfroGazette News took to the streets today to gauge the mood among vendors, and their responses painted a picture of defiance and determination.

“I’m not afraid of the council’s operation, I’ll be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that. The government needs to create jobs for us, that’s the solution.

“It’s not like we’re defying the law because we want to, but we’re humans too, we have families, children to feed. What do they expect us to do? Where do they expect us to go? Do they want us to starve to death?

“This is not funny at all, this country is just a joke. They need to address the root cause of the problem, which is unemployment, instead of just chasing us around like we’re animals,” Mai Machawi a local vendor lamented.

“They’re always threatening to remove us, but they never follow through,” said Sarah Chikwava, a second-hand clothing vendor. “The city council is all bark and no bite. They’re just a toothless bulldog.”

Privilege Moyo, a fruit vendor at corner Speke and Leopold Takawira, echoed Chikwava’s sentiments. “We’re not going anywhere. The city council can bring their trucks and police, but we’ll just pack up and come back. It’s a cat-and-mouse game they cannot win.”

Tafadzwa Mhuru, a vegetable vendor, emphasized that the vendors are not just fighting for their livelihoods but also for their right to survive in a struggling economy. “We’re not just vendors, we’re survivors. The economy has failed us, and the city council is supposed to support us, not harass us.”

As the standoff between the City of Harare and vendors continues, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious. One thing is certain, however, the city’s streets will remain a battleground until the underlying issues of poverty, unemployment, and economic inequality are addressed.