Chronicle Editor
Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Online Reporter
CALM has been restored within the central business district, following an early morning clash between Bulawayo city council and illegal vendors today.
BCC launched an early morning raid on in an effort to clean up the city.
However, vendors have returned to their illegal vending sites and it is business as usual.
A Chronicle news crew took a tour of the infamous famous fifth avenue, where vendors operate and observed that calm had been restored.
In an interview, a vendor Mr Bothwell Chimedza claimed the violent skirmishes only occurred during the wee hours of the morning, thereafter none occurred.
“The violent cat and mouse fight occurred in the morning from 3 to 5 AM. Vendors that operate in the night are the ones that were affected by the raid.
“At daybreak council, officer left dismantled the raid and left, as people were now trickling into town,” he said.
Another vendor Mrs Sibongiseni Nkomo said the council should have just embarked on an operation to confiscate what they were selling rather than injuring them in the process.
“Council should have at least given us a warning to say that they would conduct an operation to remove us from the streets, this could have helped avoid the violence that took place. Some people were injured in the run-in with the council,” she said.
Blessing Chizhande
Online Reporter