The Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations Acting President, Lucia Masekesa, said her organisation would mobilise vendors to “stay away from elections because there was nothing in it for them”.
Masekesa said the GNU had disappointed vendors because it had failed to address their concerns.
The Urban Council and Rural District Council laws set local authorities as separate and fairly autonomous legal corporate institutions. The main legal instruments of local government are vested in the President and the Minister of Local Government has the power to suspend or act in place of a local authority.
However, concern has been raised that the Minister of Local Government, Ignatius Chombo, is using the Act to frustrate councillors from the MDC-T.
Masekesa said vendors were wary of politicians who only acted in their interests around election times.
“Politicians never represent us when they are in Parliament. We are harassed, arrested and treated like criminals,” said Masekesa.
Masekesa expressed disappointment in the way the GNU had failed to address the plight of vendors.
“We are not going to vote for anyone in the government of national unity because they have failed us,” she said.
Zanu (PF) Secretary for Administration is on record begging for Mutare vendors and flea market operators to support his party in the forthcoming elections, promising to create a special fund to support their projects.
Post published in: News