Zanu PF youths in Harare have reportedly taken charge of the new vending site in Graniteside amid allegations that spaces are being allocated on party lines.
263Chat visited the site yesterday and talked to vendors who admitted to being allocated stalls by Zanu PF provincial youth leadership.
In a telephone interview with this publication today, Harare City Council corporate communications manager, Michael Chideme professed ignorance on the alleged allocation of vending stalls by Zanu PF youths insisting that those doing so do not have the blessings of the city fathers.
“The allocation is the responsibility of a council so if you get an allocation from somebody else who is not from council, it’s a nullity.
“The distribution and allocation of vending sites or vending space is the prerogative of council. No individual should distribute vending spaces,” said Chideme.
He added that the process to allocate vending stalls is underway with council designating more than 200 places to be allocated to informal traders.
“Right now we are doing registration and informing the informal sector to trade from already existing sites around the city where permission has been given. We have more than 200 vending sites in Harare,” added Chideme.
Zanu PF Youth Chairperson for Harare Province, Godfrey Gomwe who is fingered in the stands scam denied any wrong doing saying he is not in charge of the processes at the new vending site, referring all questions to Alexio Mudzengerere who runs Grassroots Empowerment.
“Ask Mudzengerere, he is the one in charge of the grassroots. I don’t know how this is done, I have never been to the site, I have not prepared any list. I’m not part of that program,” said Gomwe.
Reached for a comment, Alexio Mudzengerere confirmed that he is indeed in charge of table distribution but was not at liberty to disclose more information saying he is not sure of the agenda of this publication.
“Yes I am the one in charge but which ministry did you come from? I can’t just give information to a stranger whose agenda I don’t know?
“I have never dealt with your publication, yes I deal with stands issues, but up until I’m convinced with your credentials I will not give you more information because I don’t know you,” he said.
Scores of vendors clad in in Zanu PF party regalia threatened and fumed at 263Chat reporters charging that they were not at liberty to be interrogated on the happenings at the new vending site.
The council in a joint operation with the Zimbabwe Republic Police embarked on an overdrive targeting vendors from the CBD amid cholera outbreak which have claimed at least 45 lives from more than 8000 cases reported so far.
