adminVusumuzi Dube Municipal Reporter
A BULAWAYO councillor is reportedly taking advantage of desperate vendors by illegally allocating vending space to them while claiming that neither the police nor council officials will evict them, a duty that is only a prerogative of the local authority’s officials in the housing and community services department. Investigations by this publication revealed that Ward 8 councillor, Shilla Musonda has for the past couple of weeks been forcing vendors in her ward to join the beleaguered opposition MDC-T after which she allocates them stands in the ward, giving them letters which she stamps and signs to “legalise” their operations.
Vendors interviewed in Mzilikazi boasted that they were being protected by Clr Musonda hence they were not worried that they would be evicted.
“We have been told that we are safe. Yes she told us to first join the MDC-T but we have no problem with that because at the end of the day we won’t be troubled by anyone,” said a vendor who identified himself as Mr Mkhwananzi.
Contacted for comment, Clr Musonda confirmed the move but claimed she was only signing and stamping the letters so that the vendors do not have a hard time being registered at council offices.
She further claimed that she was fighting a political battle in her ward, saying this had seen some people trying to continuously tarnish her name.
“I won’t be deterred from fighting for people. Take it whichever way you want but our policy is that we can’t just evict these people knowing the issue of unemployment within our city. What I’m simply doing is to assist the vendors to be recognised and not face hustles registering.
“It is not surprising that someone is trying to scandalise issues but I feel it’s unfair. My viewpoint is that we should put aside political differences and push in one direction. I know that I am fighting a lot of political battles but I won’t be deterred,” said Clr Musonda.
She claimed that she had already identified space in her ward where she wished to house the vendors but said this had to go through the normal council processes first before being approved.
“Our mayor (Clr Martin Moyo) has already written to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing therefore we expect to get a way forward soon. Until then we cannot talk of evicting these people just like that,” said the councillor.
Commenting on the matter, the city’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, said councillors were mere policy makers, with the sole mandate of allocating vending space vested on the director of housing and community services, Mr Isaiah Magagula.
“The director of housing and community services has the mandate to allocate vending space. Councillors are policy makers who set the policy and the housing and community department implements council policy,” said Mrs Mpofu.
She revealed that council officials were the only people who could register vendors.
“Vendors have to register with the City of Bulawayo at the former Dugmore Clinic vending offices located at Basch Street and Sixth Avenue. The vending bays are allocated as per availability per site,” she said.
Last week, the city’s mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo said plans were in the pipeline to create new vending sites for a huge number of traders who wanted to operate in the city but had noted that this was subject to the Ministry of Local Government’s input.
“We are going to talk to the vendors and possibly take them to Masotsha Ndlovu Avenue but the problem is that there are no people there and there is no traffic. But a suggestion has come to say instead of sending them to Masotsha Avenue let’s take the market place (from Fifth Avenue) to Masotsha and then people will be forced to go there to Masotsha.
“We must organise them before moving them. It should not be random but should be orderly. By Monday last week over 1 900 vendors had registered to trade in the city,” the Mayor is quoted as saying.
The city has 6 240 unoccupied vending bays which were deserted after the traders noted low customer volume and moved to illegal points, some of them in the CBD.
derick.khumalo