Gweru makes U-turn on urban farming

Sukoluhle Ndlovu Midlands Correspondent
The City of Gweru has made a U-turn on urban farming and has allowed residents to farm on designated areas. The U-turn by council follows an outcry from the urban farmers, who castigated it for denying them the right to utilise open spaces for farming. Last month, the municipal police confiscated farming tools and inputs from residents who were found cultivating in the city’s open spaces.

“We have given the green light to urban farmers to go ahead with crop cultivation as the farming season has begun,” Acting Town Clerk Mr Edgar Mwedzi said. “However, we will not tolerate those who cultivate in undesignated places such as near the roads and on river banks.” Mr Mwedzi said farming was prohibited in the new Mkoba 21 suburb since council had begun servicing the area.

“We have, however, banned residents from engaging in farming activities in the new Mkoba 21 suburb as they will interfere with our pegs,” he said. “It will also disrupt workers who have begun servicing the suburb.” Mr Mwedzi said those who defied the ban would be punished accordingly.

“Those individuals who always want to cultivate in undesignated and prohibited areas will face the full wrath of the law,” he said. “We will not tolerate any individuals who do not follow city by-laws.” Meanwhile, Mr Mwedzi warned vendors who have returned to the shop pavements and streets in the Central Business District to go back to the designated vending sites they were allocated by the local authority.

He said council would resume its crackdown on vendors operating from undesignated points. “We will also resume the crackdown on vendors who returned to the streets taking advantage of the absence of police officers. Now that the police have resumed their duties, we will leave no stone unturned in making sure that the streets of Gweru are free from vendors,” said Mr Mwedzi.