Vendors have warned government against pushing them out of streets without alternative employment saying ultimatums and threats only worsens the situation they described as already precarious.
Addressing a press conference in Harare on Monday, Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation, (VISET) Coordinator, Samuel Wadzai condemned government’s decision to give vendors an ultimatum without proferring better solutions to their immediate problems.
“VISET wishes to condemn in its strongest terms the ultimatum pronounced by the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on vendors operation in all cities and towns without offer them alternative sites to carry out their trade,” said Wadzai.
According to an ultimatum issued by the Local Government Minister, July Moyo, vendors and pirate taxi operators were supposed to vacate the Central Business District, (CBD) or will be forced by the police and army.
But Wadzai said use of force against vendors will only worsen an already precarious situation calling on government to always respect the constitution in its conduct.
“Ultimatums and threats of force will only worsen the already precarious situation,” said Mangoma.
Briggs Bomba from the Citizens Manifesto Initiative denounced violent approach to dealing with vendor issues reminding government that they are dealing with an entrenched and complex socio-economic problem.
He urged the government to create solutions and avoid use of force as vendors have promised not to cooperate with order to vacate from the CBD.
Last year, an operation to rid the CBD of vendors more than 5000 vendors being arrested by Municipal and ZRP police officers, according VISET.
Vendors have threatened that they will not leave the CBD and previous attempts to remove them from the streets resulted in serious clashes.
Harare City Council corporate communications manager Mr Michael Chideme recently told a local publication that the city’s intention was not to ban vendors, but to ensure that they operated from designated sites.
