Chronicle Editor
THE Bulawayo City Council’s operation to deal with illegal activities along 5th Avenue should signal the beginning of the process to restore sanity in the city.
Of late, the city has seen a lot of lawlessness ranging from vendors operating in undesignated areas, inter-city buses ranking in illegal places and pirate taxis violating traffic laws among many other violations.
Vendors’ associations say some of those operating from 5th Avenue are selling drugs and the space has barons who are being paid US$1 daily by each unregistered vendor for illegal activities to continue.
After yesterday’s operation, the council and vendors traded accusations of violent conduct, leading to some needing medical care.
We call upon both parties to desist from violent behaviour and for council police to conduct their duty in a peaceful manner and for the offending vendors to comply with the law.
BCC corporate communications manager Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said the raid was part of the council’s mandate to enforce by-laws.
“We are urging all informal traders to trade from designated sites. The enforcement targets all unruly elements taking place in the city. Some of these occur outside business hours including traders of no fixed abode who live on the streets and sleep there,” said Mrs Mpofu.
“They further compromise the sanitation of the City as they don’t have access to toilets and ablution facilities because they are operating from undesignated sites.”
She said three council staffers were injured during the impasse as disgruntled vendors retaliated by throwing stones at municipal police.
“We are however yet to receive any reports of illegal informal traders who were injured.
“The City of Bulawayo gives licences to vendors operating from official vending sites and bays. Our licences bear the vending site and bay numbers and so far there are no licences bearing 5th Avenue vending site,” she said.
“Members of the public are advised that 5th Avenue is a public road for vehicular and pedestrian traffic and not a designated vending site.
“We urge all informal traders to trade from designated sites. Informal trading has to co-exist harmoniously with residents and other sectors in the City of Bulawayo and also operate within the confines of City policies, By-Laws and National laws.
“We also appeal to the members of the public to purchase from designated informal traders.
The Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association threw its weight behind the council operation with its executive director Mr Michael Ndiweni saying illegal vendors were to blame for the disorder and health hazards looming within the city centre.
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