Vendors petition Harare Mayor

Vendors wave placards at Town House.

Hundreds of vendors under the banner of the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) marched in the city centre singing songs denouncing corrupt municipal police officers and authorities at Town House.

The vendors submitted a petition to the acting Mayor, Councilor Wilton Njanjazi which highlighted their concerns against the failure by Harare Municipality to act against cases of corruption reported against municipal police officers.

Njanjazi promised to ensure that the vendors’ concerns are addressed.

Read part of the petition: “Council police and any other law enforcement agents should be obliged to respect the constitutional rights of every citizen such as the right to dignity and freedom from arbitrary arrests or degrading treatment.

“The City of Harare should convene an all stakeholders approach to the issue of vendors rather than unilateral decisions which can only make the situation worse.”

The vendors also demanded that the council should deal with space barons abusing the name of Zanu (PF) to claim spaces in the CBD while sidelining other vendors along political lines.

Addressing the protestors at Tow House, NAVUZ Chairperson, Stan Zvorwadza said they were fed up by the actions of corrupt municipal police.

“As vendors, we are saying that authorities at Town House must take appropriate action to ensure that corrupt employees are brought to book. We are also concerned that some authorities here are actually teaming up with the corrupt municipal cops to extort cash from vendors,” said Zvorwadza.

He took a swipe at acting Town Clerk, Josephine Ncube for failing to address vendors’ concerns.

“The acting Town Clerk has been insensitive to our plight. We have forwarded several complaints to her but nothing is being done and vendors continue to suffer. Council cannot confiscate vendors’ goods when the economy is in a comatose state,” said Zvorwadza.

He urged council to consult vendors when implementing decisions that affect the informal sector.

‘The problem we have is that council is implementing decisions that affect the livelihoods of vendors without consulting them. That can only worsen the situation because we are going to resist such moves by the council,” said Zvorwadza.