The Harare City Council (HCC) is mulling a plan to move unlicensed and illegal vendors to designated places dotted around the capital, a move that is likely to escalate chaotic scenes between police and the informal traders.
Harare Mayor, Councillor Hebert Gomba told reporters yesterday that the city fathers will soon create additional trading spaces at the same time reviving the old and disused markets through re-routing mass bus transport system to the approved places.
He, however noted that engagement with vendors is key if the move is to bear any fruits.
“We do not subscribe to the notion of violent removal of vendors. When we took office, we pledged to engage with the vendors and that is what we are doing.
“We are making it impossible for vendors to resist moving out of the streets by giving them vast tracts of operating space and we will formally engage with them before we move them.
“We simply want them to be accommodated and this move will eliminate running battles with the police,” said Gomba.
The greatest challenge facing street vendors countrywide is viable operation spaces.
Most of the spaces vendors occupy are considered illegal since the spaces have not been set aside for trade.
In cases where they are allowed to operate, the spaces are considered temporary and eviction occurs at the will of urban authorities.
There are various conflicts relating to their sites of operation. A major conflict often arises when the vendors are required to move in order to give way for planned development.
This brings them into direct confrontation with urban authorities and land developers
Gomba, however, said the latest move is likely to curb confrontation between vendors and the police.
“Taking up space at approved trading sites will eliminate the demolition of illegal structures and loss of investments.
“To complement our efforts we are inviting stakeholders with the capacity to construct temporary and permanent vending infrastructure at designated sites to approach the council for space allocation,” Gomba said.
Most of the places vendors occupy have no tenure and are not allocated and sanctioned by urban authorities.
At the same time, the vendors are also in conflict with formal shop owners, who are worried over unfair competition.
