Suburban
Residents in the eastern suburbs of Harare are worried over the increasing number of vendors operating on roadsides since the lockdown regulations were relaxed.
Ivan Zhakata Suburban Reporter
The residents said the increase in the number of vendors has become an eyesore in the suburbs and the major worry was that the vendors were operating on places where there are no ablution facilities.
The residents said the situation is worse in Greendale, Mandara, Highlands and Newlands were vendors have also invaded shopping centres where they literally force people to buy their wares.
One of the concerned residents from Greendale said the City of Harare needed to act with urgency in removing vendors on roadsides as some of them were contributing to the increase in criminal activities in the neighbourhoods.
“Well council needs to remove all those vendors at corner Pringle Road and Harare Drive. That is a health hazard as well as a big security problem in the near future. We are going to get smash and grabs (from passing vehicles). There are also no ablution facilities. We are slowly watching our neighbourhood dying in our eyes. Those vendors do not care because they are not property owners and reside elsewhere,” said the resident.
Council officials toured Newlands shops last year to assess vendors’ operations.
Another resident from Newlands said a petition to council was the way to go as it fully explains their objection to the increasing number of vendors.
“I am told we need to put up a petition and present it to the council. As property owners I think we should do something to keep our environment clean and a sight that is not sore to the eyes,” said the Newlands resident.
Nyasha Chiweshe from Highlands said the issue was not about the vendors but the council officials who are being paid by the vendors to be on the sides of the road.
“These guys actually pay good money to councillors to be there. The other issue is the customers who fraternise these road side businesses. Guaranteed if no one stopped to buy, they would sooner or later leave than pay for a spot which generates no revenue.
“So penalise the cars stopping and the councillors and you stop the problem. We cannot control Government enforcing the law but we can start by not buying from the side of the road and spread the word. Do what is in your control,” Chiweshe said.
Last year, council undertook an assessment of the vendors’ operations in the city with a view to allocating them proper areas from where to operate but no progress has been made in that regard.
Last month, Harare City Council warned vendors saying the Old Stables Market at the Borrowdale Race Course cannot continue to be used as a food market because the sellers of good there do not meet the minimum health standards required in terms of the city by-laws.
This comes after the operators continued using them illegally as a weekend market since mid-January.
