adminMirriam Madiye
Features Writer
What was once a home and epicentre for white supremacy during the colonial times has since changed to become the most popular pedestrian street in the country.
Stretching from Robert Mugabe Road to Samora Machel Avenue is First Street, which has been turned into a haven of informal traders in Harare.
It is one of the streets which has become the melting pot of the country, and indeed the proverbial heart of the city.
The significance of the street is not an object of doubt.
A Harare resident, Tendai Makashu quipped that if you have never been to First Street, you do not know Harare.
“If you are someone visiting Harare for the first time and if you do not pay a visit to First Street, you have not come to Harare,” he said. “First Street is the centre of business because everyone passes by here. There is nothing you cannot find here and even roasted mealies.”
Makashu’s sentiments are true as they aptly describe First Street.
It is a hub, and those who pass through will be treated to a wide range of acts, including poetry, dance and music.
However, beyond the colour, there has also been a subtle invasion by destitutes and vendors, birthing an eyesore.
The vendors have become the centre of attraction along the street as at every corner, pavement, shop entrance or any open space you will find them in their numbers.
They go to the extreme of parading their wares in front of shops, in some instances selling the same wares and commodities as those found in the shops.
There is nothing that the vendors don’t sell: from herbal concoctions, shoes, phones, their accessories, as well as a blaring speaker playing gospel songs at corner Jason Moyo and First Street.
Some street preachers have set up pulpits in the same street.
The preachers have taken over some parts of the street, especially at the corner with Speke, where they bring with them their PA systems, as they shout their voices hoarse, using phrases and jokes to attract passers-by.
Illegal money changers flashing wads of different currencies have also invaded the street.
One wonders if there are rules in the concrete jungle that First Street has become.
Street kids occupy the open space near the police post where one can find them any time of the day, sleeping on their cardboard boxes, in some cases consuming intoxicants.
The street kids also collect empty plastic containers from a mound of uncollected refuse just behind the police post.
Despite the anxiety walking along First Street brings, those who operate from the space prefer the chaos.
A cellphone accessories vendor at the entrance of Econet Wireless shop, Takudzwa Matendo from Tafara suburb, said their well-being depended on the selling their wares on the street.
“I earn my living through selling these accessories here, so I cannot vacate this place. Sales are high here that I get enough to cater for my family’s needs,” he said. “If a customer does not find what they want in the Econet shop or that one cannot afford the price, they can come and buy from us here.”
Takudzwa highlighted that there is nothing that one cannot find on the street, they just need to know who to ask.
“First Street is the hub of it all,” he said.
Though it does not house apartments, some have set their homes along the street.
Just opposite the Econet shop, at the corner First Street and George Silundika Avenue, there is a woman who has turned the space into her home, bringing her blankets and kitchen utensils.
With so much potential to become an organised space for a vibrant urban culture, something seems out of place with the street at the moment.
Is there a plan to ensure that all activities in the prime central business district area remain legal and above board?
When will this kind of setup come to an end, where vendors display their wares in front of shops, pavements or any open space they can find.
Can First Street have the new vision of a smart city?
Two years ago, Econet Wireless, in partnership with city council, announced plans to give First Street a major facelift which would have seen some major changes on the outlook of the street.
The facelift was to see Econet Wireless repaving pavements and designing clean family-friendly sitting areas with water fountains, a children’s play area, benches, open air theatre seating and solar phone charging ports.
At the police post, they were to deploy an eco-friendly and energy efficient container with air-conditioning, surveillance monitoring screens with split view, patrol self-balancing electric scooters, coffee and water dispensers.
But up to now nothing has materialised.
Michael Chideme, the Harare City Council spokesperson said that they were still hopeful that the project will proceed and give Harare a much-needed facelift. It is imperative that they move in fast before the street’s status continues to deteriorate.
Econet Wireless Group media and corporate communication executive Mr Fungai Mandiveyi said changes in the economic operating environment affected their plan to do the major facelift of First Street.
“Changes in the economic operating environment have imposed constraints that have negatively affected our business, as well as a variety of other projects that we were working on, including our network roll-out,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation in view of the developments in the economy.”
Mr Mandiveyi said the project did not have a time frame.
But for now, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the municipal police should consider joint operations to flush out illegal businesses along the street.
In fact, there is no justification why there is no action from these law enforcement agents, when everyone knows that what is happening in First Street borders on anarchy.
If the law enforcement agents want to clear the street, they can do it perfectly within minutes, and from then on simply close the door on illegal businesses operating along the street.
The street is neither designated as a vending area nor a church site, it is not a bureau de change and neither is it a residential area.
Yet some are taken advantage of the open stretch of the street to engage in nefarious activities that have altered the face of the street.
In the long run, property values along the street will deteriorate, as formal businesses re-locating from the CBD to suburbs where their businesses are not disturbed.
The street traders do not pay rent to anyone, yet in most cases they sell the same items as those being sold in the shops, albeit at a much cheaper price.
Online Reporter