ZRP war with illegal vendors

The place earned its name from Zanu (PF)s infamous way of forcibly grabbing formerly productive white owned farms at the height of government sanctioned farm invasions in 2000. In response to the biting economic hardships that prevailed in the country in 2008, business-minded residents came together to sell their produce to the residents. People flocked to the illegal selling point because of the low prices. As the market became popular people brought groceries that were scarce on the market like cooking oil, soap, sugar and maize meal.

The place does not have toilets or water taps and people relieved themselves in nearby bushes. As a result, a devastating cholera outbreak occurred in Chitungwiza in September 2008. The ZRP and the Chitungwiza municipal policemen rounded up the illegal vendors, confiscated their wares and put some of them in jail.

Vendors re-locate

The vendors are however adamant and have since relocated to Chirunga Shopping centre where they display their wares along the Unit M main road. On Friday riot policemen from ZRP and the municipal policemen unexpectedly pounced on the vending site and had fierce battles with the vendors.

Trouble started when two policemen in plain clothes were seriously beaten by the vendors after they had attempted to confiscate cooking oil and soap. One of the beaten policemen phoned the ZRP at Makoni station who came in riot gear and began to fire teargas into the crowd of vendors. The vendors fought back with stones but they eventually fled after the policemen fired two warning shots in the air.

You are aware that unemployment is hovering above 80 per cent and we can not quit the so called illegal vending as it is our only source of livelihood, said one vendor. We urge the council to use money charged for licences and other levies to build structures that accommodate the vendors and put in place toilets and water facilities other than squandering the money for personal enrichment.

Wendy Chiriri, Councillor for Ward 21 in Seke, was optimistic that the situation would improve with the council currently erecting a fence to accommodate the vendors.