adminNqobile Tshili Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council is amending its colonial era vending by-laws that have been criticised for failing to take into account the reality on the ground. Most residents have turned to the informal sector following company closures and retrenchments, but hawkers’ operations have been threatened by council that deems some of their activities illegal.
Council’s senior public relations officer Nesisa Mpofu yesterday said the municipality had started revising the Hawkers and Vendors By-Law of 1976.
She said the vending law was silent on challenges affecting vendors and the new measures would benefit both hawkers and council and would realise financial benefits and bring sanity to the city.
“The by-law is silent on various issues affecting informal trading that need to be addressed in the newly amended by-law. These include specific times of trading hours, offences and penalties,” said Mpofu.
She said in coming up with the by-law, vendors representatives were consulted.
Mpofu said the new measures would promote transparency in the allocation of stalls or bays and address issues of fines and disposal procedures.
Less privileged members in society are expected to benefit.
“It also targets special groups in the society. These include the elderly, orphans, disabled, unemployed, widows, widowers,” she said.
Mpofu said the vending licence that would come out of the new council law would provide a vendor’s necessary details: address, identity number among others.
“Site management committees will also be introduced to cement ties between council and stakeholders. The site managers are chosen by informal traders and they ensure that every vendor or stakeholder adheres to the Council by-laws,” she said.
Since the closure of the city’s industries, vending has increased and in January last year, Bulawayo had over 6,000 registered vendors.
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