City of Harare has come under fire over a video in which municipal police were captured loading a garbage truck with foodstuffs confiscated from vendors operating from illegal points across the central business district.
The city fathers said the confiscated foodstuffs including potatoes, butter nuts and tomatoes among items were to be disposed at its Pomona dumpsite.
“Disposal of confiscated farm produce from illegal vendors at Harare Municipal Police Headquarters. The garbage is loaded in a refuse compactor and taken to Pomona dumpsite,” read the caption.
Enraged by the development, Harare said move smacked of insensitivity on the part of city fathers considering the economic state of the country.
“You guys are heartless, cruel and evil. why not give to the less privileged ie orphanages, children’s homes, etc. I think you are misleading us into believing that you will throw these things away yet you are gonna take the produce to your homes, pathetic,” replied a Harare resident Patrick Makoni.
“This is very bad. I think the City of Harare should not publish such things. The economy is harsh and other people are trying to fend for their families. Whosoever posted this video, may you have a prosperous new year hako. I think focus and energy should be on how to decongest the city, provide clean and safe water, manage burning building and create employment, Not disposing hard earned living. Remember the tears of a widow,” added Proceed Sibanda.
“This is cruel. And when they say your leaders at the municipality are incompetent you say no they are not. Competency involves understanding situations and handling them accordingly in an amicable way. Harare is one of the poorest cities in the world with no proper services and you want to behave as if it is New York. To hell,” replied ras Toots.
Posting on his official Facebook account yesterday, Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba had no kind words for the authority saying the manner in which they confiscated and disposed vendors’ wares was not consistent with human beliefs.
Gomba promised to look into the issue and ensure council address the barbaric behavior exhibited on the video.
“It has come to me that a video is circulating of the municipal police confiscating and disposing vendor’s wares in a manner not consistent to our human beliefs and the need to treat others humanly ….I have taken note and will ensure the Town clerk addresses these concerns immediately ,because it’s not part of our culture, it’s barbaric and of the past,” said Gomba.
