The Zimbabwean came across two municipal officers, one in uniform and the other in plain clothes, demanding papers at one food outlet in downtown Harare.
They openly demanded a bribe and threatened to have the shop closed and kitchen equipment confiscated if they were not paid. The shop operator confirmed to that this was part of their daily routine.
“In a day we can part with as much as $50. They don’t just ask for the money. They also ask for food so we give them a plate of sadza as well,” the operator of the shop said, adding that different policemen took turns to raid their premises.
“If your story comes out I fear they may came back and shut us down just to fix us,” the operator said pleading with this newspaper to hide their identity.
Illegal vendors operating from various points around the city centre are also not spared. City of Harare spokesman Leslie Gwindi urged the affected businesses to report the cases to the authorities.
“If they are taking bribes that is obviously illegal but we don’t have those reports. The affected people should come and report to us,” said Gwindi.
One of the food operators said they feared making reports to the council as this could attract further victimisation and harassment.
“It’s very hard for us to approach the council because that could lead to more problems. The policemen have threatened to completely shut us down when we have protested because they said we were becoming big headed,” the operator said.
One vendor said reporting to the council was suicidal since this would only attract more scrutiny. “We have learnt to live with this. It’s just the way it is,” he said.
The informal sector is now the biggest employer in Zimbabwe. According to the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency it contributes around 19,5 percent of Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product at a total value of $1,73 billion.
Zimstat says that about 3,7 million people are involved in informal sector activities. The Zimbabwean government has been trying to find ways of formalising the sector in order to generate revenue from it.
Post published in: News