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Conrad Mupesa Mashonaland West Bureau
AMID the current operation by the government to bring sanity to Central Business Districts (CBD) in the country’s towns and cities, the Chegutu business community has challenged their council to fine shop operators letting vendors conduct business on pavements.
It was revealed during a stakeholders meeting called by Chegutu Municipality in the farming and mining town last Friday that while officials from the council and members of Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had taken a deliberate stance to clear off the streets, some vendors were working in cohorts with shop operators, who shelter them during raids.
The attendees were also informed that although some formal traders were complaining to the council for street vendors to be driven out, other shop owners were allegedly charging vendors to operate on their verandas and pavements.
The council has since designated a place along Station Street for vendors and informal traders alike to operate from.
Despite the decision, the council and police details have for the past weeks engaged in cat-and-mouse affairs with the vendors and informal traders.
One shop operator said: “Go end all this menace, the council has to fine shop operators whose pavements and verandas are being used by vendors and informal traders. We can’t have a scenario where we pay for licences and all yet someone comes and operates in front of our shops.”
The council has for some time charged each informal trader a dollar a day, as it tried to generate revenue from them.
Despite this, the majority of them evade paying the fees and use shops as hiding spots from council revenue collectors and police, a vendor, Ms Plaxedes Mafa told the stakeholders.
The vendors, the stakeholders further heard, were using the shops they operate in front of as cloakrooms.
“Some of us have contracts with these shop owners who allow us to leave our items for a fare. Some even pay these shop owners money to operate in front of their premises,” she said, backing the idea that formal traders be fined for letting vendors operate on pavements and verandas.
Small and Medium Enterprises for ED national chairman, Mr Ruzive Ruzive said they were rallying behind the government’s decision to bring sanity to the country’s CBDs.
He encouraged vendors and traders to use places dedicated by councils.
But, Chegutu Municipality’s town clerk Mr Jacob Chikuruwo said there was no turning back in bringing sanity to the town’s CBD.
“We have plans to attain city status by 2030 and this can only be done if we bring sanity to the town. We have identified an operating space for our informal traders so that there is sanity.
“This is also being done to protect licenced dealers to realise profits at the end of the day,” he said.
The council is also working to ensure that buses and haulage trucks use designated routes when passing through the town with fast-food outlets in the CBD now being forbidden from allowing buses to park in front of their premises.
Online Reporter