Harare – In a recurring cycle of attempts to restore order, the Harare City Council is set to initiate yet another operation to remove vendors from the city’s central business district (CBD) this Wednesday evening. This latest effort, like its numerous predecessors, will be supported by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), despite a history of failed attempts to rid Harare of illegal vendors.
Speaking at the launch of a revenue collection blitz on behalf of acting town clerk Phakamile Moyo, housing director Addmore Nhekairo announced the joint operation, stating that it had been agreed upon with the local government ministry.
“We had a meeting with the (local government) ministry on zero vending in the CBD whose operation starts Wednesday night,” said Nhekairo. “This needs to be resourced so that it becomes a success. It is a serious initiative that will be supported by the ZRP.”
The operation aims to address the persistent issue of illegal vending, which has plagued Harare for years, contributing to congestion, litter, and general disorder within the CBD. However, previous efforts to tackle the problem have been largely unsuccessful, highlighting the deep-rooted challenges driving the informal vending sector.
The move comes despite the acknowledgement that Zimbabwe’s struggling economy is a major contributing factor to the proliferation of street vending. With high unemployment rates and limited formal job opportunities, many Zimbabweans, including graduates, have turned to vending as a means of survival. They sell a variety of goods, including foodstuffs, clothes, vegetables, fruits, and second-hand clothing, often operating in a constant state of uncertainty.
These vendors are frequently seen fleeing from council vehicles, which confiscate their wares and arrest them. Reports indicate that these vehicles often operate with impunity, disregarding traffic laws in their pursuit of vendors, including elderly women selling tomatoes and young boys selling sweets.
The council’s efforts to clean up Harare are not new. Attempts to sanitise the city go back as far as Operation Murambatsvina in the early 2000s, with numerous more in between then and 2024.
Last year, health services director Prosper Chonzi confessed that the Harare City Council had failed to deal with illegal vending because of the state of Zimbabwe’s economy.
“The general economy is playing against us; we have been playing hide and seek after vendors, and it is not working,” said Chonzi. “I am not happy with the vending situation in the city. It is plain against what we are trying to achieve.”
The recurring nature of these clean-up operations raises questions about their long-term effectiveness. While the council aims to restore order and improve the city’s image, critics argue that these efforts fail to address the underlying economic issues that drive people to vend in the first place.
The lack of sustainable alternative livelihoods and the limited availability of formal employment opportunities mean that vendors are often left with little choice but to return to the streets, perpetuating the cycle of clean-up operations and informal trading.
The success of this latest operation remains to be seen. However, given the historical challenges and the ongoing economic difficulties faced by many Zimbabweans, it is likely to be an uphill battle. Critics argue that a more sustainable approach is needed, one that combines enforcement with efforts to support vendors and provide them with viable alternative livelihoods. Without addressing the root causes of the problem, Harare’s streets are likely to remain a battleground between vendors and authorities for the foreseeable future.
