Engage vendors, councils urged

Rutendo Rori Herald Correspondent
Local authorities should engage illegal vendors and pirate taxi operators to come up with long-term solutions to get them off the streets, a senior government official has said. Speaking during a tour of Marondera CBD last week, Minister of State for Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs David Musabayana said force or persuasion could not remove vendors from the streets because of economic hardships.

“Engage vendors, and mshika-shika operators and even the customers and know what they want. Vendors are actually a victim, they are being shunned by the buyer and they are following the buyer.

“Any amount of force or persuasion cannot remove vendors from the streets, due to economic issues. They should be integrated into the mainstream economy. We should come up with long term solutions to the problem,” he said.

Minister Musabayana said pirate taxi operators should be re-organised, trained and assisted to have their vehicles licensed.

“We also need to train people who can inspect sanitation facilities. These people would inspect the cleanliness of public toilets, water and the hygiene levels of food handlers.”

He also said owners of supermarkets should also be consulted on the issue of illegal vendors. Zanu-PF for Marondera Central, Cde Lawrence Katsiru echoed the same sentiments.

He said illegal vending was triggered by economic hardships in the country.

“We should understand that vendors are a small group of people who are trying to earn a living and if we just force them off the streets without considering their needs, it’s being insensitive.

“While we come up with solutions to the problem, we need to make sure that they are in the meantime operating in a clean environment where there is clean water and toilets to avoid diseases like cholera and typhoid,” said Cde Katsiru.

Government recently gave illegal vendors and pirate taxi operators an ultimatum to vacate the streets in all towns and cities, or risk being removed by security forces.

Illegal vendors in Marondera CBD have resisted Government’s directive and are still selling their wares on pavements while pirate taxi operators are still on the roads.