Online Reporter
Stephen Mpofu, Perspective
BULAWAYO is not a shanty town where trade shambles are wont to be germane.
No, the City of Kings and Queens, alias royal palace of international trade fairs should not be turned into an eyesore by unregulated street vendors who litter a city otherwise known for its cleanliness.
In the circumstances Bulawayo City Council’s current crackdown on illegal street vending is commendable and must be supported by all who wish Bulawayo to continue to enjoy its reputation as the seat of international trade fairs that draw businesspeople from various parts of the globe for the annual trade indaba which exposes the Zimbabwean market to investors from across the globe.
Vendors operating like street kids who are found anywhere and everywhere are responsible for congestion in our beautiful city with littering turning Bulawayo known in the colonial era for its cleanliness among other urban centres.
Every city or urban area has by-laws within which citizens must operate in order to maintain orderliness which translates into decongestion and prevention of communicable diseases.
Surely, vendors who naturally work to provide bread and butter to their families are not deliberately courting the iron rod of the colonial era for them to abide by city by-laws of our free and independent Zimbabwe?
Bulawayo City Council Mayor, Councillor David Coltart, was quoted in this publication a few days ago as saying:
“There are designated places where people can register for vending bays, and we encourage them to do so.”
It would appear therefore that vendors trade illegally in order to avoid paying a fee for the city’s vending facilities when the city council is not a charitable organisation providing its business space for free.
But, surely, councillors have a duty to educate people in their wards that the money realised from vending bays and other council facilities is spent on providing other requisite facilities for residents of Bulawayo.
In the circumstances municipal police require and deserve the public’s support to restore order in order for Bulawayo to continue to enjoy its reputation as an international trade extravaganza along with its local trademark as Zimbabwe’s industrial hub.
The problem is that the actual running of cities is a political activity instead of a what I would call a business for service delivery. We have seen people put in offices not for their skills and capabilities to deliver but because they belong to political parties. This approach has seen clowns occupy key positions in councils and for years we have seen service delivery deteriorating to unacceptable levels in all urban set ups. The buck stops with the residents who put all these misfits into office through immature politics.