Council clears vending sites

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
Harare City Council has started clearing vending sites in and around the city as it prepares to relocate vendors to designated sites in line with a recent Government directive.

Government gave vendors until Friday to leave the streets and prepare to be relocated to vending sites being prepared by council.

Box parks for small to medium enterprises will also be constructed by Government to accommodate the traders.

The parks will accommodate those who are into retailing, wholesaling and manufacturing.

Harare City Council was yesterday clearing the open ground near the holding bays along Coventry Road, the open ground near City Sports Centre and Tsiga open space in Mbare where vendors are expected to be moved.

The city’s principal communications officer Mr Michael Chideme said the vending sites would be ready for occupation by Friday.

“We are ready for the relocation. We are in the process of putting up necessary infrastructure so that by Friday the vendors can move in.

“Toilets are already in place at the holding bays as well as at City Sports Centre,” he said.

Apart from the three sites, some vendors will also be relocated to an open space along Cripps Road.

Last week, hundreds of illegal vendors took part in a clean-up campaign as they prepared to relocate to designated sites as per Government directive.

Speaking during a clean-up campaign carried out by vendors in the central business district in Harare last week, Small to Medium Enterprises and Cooperative Development Minister Sithembiso Nyoni said vendors should be patient with her ministry as the box parks were being developed.

“You Zimbabweans, young and old, have made us very proud by cleaning up the city.

“That is being patriotic and an example of a good businessman and businesswoman,” she said.

“We do not want people to just sell. We don’t want to be a nation of vendors.

“We want you as SMEs to produce, sell and to trade not just to buy and sell. The SME’s have made the economy tick,” she said.

She commended the City of Harare for incorporating vendors in the economy by allocating them new sites.

Minister Nyoni also commended the vendors for the clean-up exercise spearheaded by Queen of Grace Zim-Asset Trust.