Online Reporter
Many urban councils have for years been grappling with the challenge of maintaining cleanliness in their cities or towns and the situation has been compounded by vendors operating in undesignated areas.
Some of the vendors are operating on pavements in front of retail shops while others are blocking roads.
There is total chaos in the Central Business Districts of many cities and towns.
What has worsened the situation is that there are no toilets or running water where the vendors are operating from yet some of them sell vegetables and other foodstuffs thereby compromising their health and that of their customers.
Agreed, the informal sector contributes significantly to the economic growth of a developing country like ours but this should not be a licence to operate in undesignated places.
The Government is cognisant of the fact that the informal sector is a source of livelihood for many families hence it has directed that councils should provide convenient and accessible decent work spaces for vendors.
The vendors’ argument has been that the designated places in most cities and towns are far away from their customers which unfortunately is misplaced because customers will always follow them wherever they operate from.
Councils such as Bulawayo City Council have been conducting clean-up operations but few days after the exercise, the vendors are back on the streets hence the urgent need to find a lasting solution.
Last year President Mnangagwa met representatives of vendors and emphasised the importance of operating from designated places saying the maintenance of order was non-negotiable.
He said Government had directed the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to work with councils and the private sector to build market stalls and decent work spaces for vendors.
Today is the deadline for vendors to move to designated vending sites established by the councils and it is our hope that they will not wait to be forcibly removed from places where they are illegally operating from.
The obtaining chaos in many cities and towns cannot be allowed to continue and we hope vendors and others in the informal sector appreciate the Government’s concerns.
It is the responsibility of councils to ensure there is orderliness especially in the CBD because this law of the jungle is a recipe for disaster.
A few years ago Zimbabwe witnessed an outbreak of cholera in most cities and towns that claimed thousands of lives and we do not want a repeat of this.
Pavements should be cleared of vendors and no vendors should be allowed to operate in front of shops.
Councils on their part should strive to accommodate as many vendors at the designated places so that no individual is denied a source of income.
This means expanding operating spaces for vendors where there are toilets and running water as maintaining hygiene is crucial to preventing outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
