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THE Harare City Council and University of Zimbabwe this week agreed to meet and resolve the vending menace at the corner of St Kilda Road and Mt Pleasant Drive.
Mt Pleasant residents fear that the illegal vending could cause a disease outbreak.
Residents have complained that the intersection is always crowded, and they fear criminals and drug dealers could be operating from there.
Council has previously tried to take action, but the vendors keep returning.
Harare Mayor, Jacob Mafume, who is also the Councillor for Ward 17 under which Mt Pleasant falls, said he had scheduled a meeting to find a lasting solution to the illegal vending.
“We have scheduled a meeting with the UZ authorities to see how we can get rid of these vendors,” he said.
“The area is now congested which is not good.
“We will propose that UZ puts up enough cafeterias for students and also communicate with the students on the dangers of buying food from the vendors,” said Mafume.
Mt Pleasant MP, Samuel Banda, said attempts to bring order and tranquillity outside the UZ campus have so far failed.
“The police, Vice Chancellor and the council have tried to bring some semblance of order, but our strategies have only worked for a day or two,” he said.
“This is more than a vending issue.
“Students need cheaper food, but not at the cost of normalcy to nearby facilities and innocent residents.”
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter