‘Ignore threats, restore order’

Sunday Mail Reporter

Government should relocate vendors and not be blackmailed by those threatening to vote against Zanu-PF in the 2018 elections.

Political analysts said this as Harare City Council is finally acting on a Government directive to restore order in the capital following months of lawlessness by illegal vendors in the Central Business District.

Opposition-aligned unions like the National Vendors’ Union of Zimbabwe have demonstrated against the relocation exercise with others threatening to use the protest vote to influence the outcome of the next plebiscite.

Harare Polytechnic’s School of Journalism lecturer Mr Alex Rusero said, “The issue of vending goes beyond party politics. It is unfortunate that the issue has been hijacked by politicians who are now jeopardising noble efforts to restore order.

“The recent threats by some members of vendors’ unions that are a desperate measure by desperate groups. It is about doing the right thing at the end of the day and that is bringing sanity and order to the city of Harare.

“Government should bear in mind that vending is also an issue of livelihoods; there is need to come up with programmes that reduce vending.” Midlands State University media studies lecturer Professor Nhamo Mhiripiri added, “It is not like there is an influx of people from the rural areas. These vendors are people who have been in the cities for years and it is not news that urban areas are strongholds of the opposition.

“Therefore, even if elections come, it is very unlikely that they will vote for Zanu-PF. Thus, Government should just ignore these people and bring order and sanity to the city.”