Municipal police, illegal vendors clash

A GROUP of illegal vendors operating along the bustling 5th Avenue market in Bulawayo’s city centre were last week left nursing injuries following clashes with municipal police.

The raid, which was reportedly intended to enforce municipal by-laws and regulations regarding informal trading in the area, turned chaotic when municipal police confiscated vendors’ wares.

The melee left about a dozen vendors injured, with some requiring medical attention.

“This raid was a violation of our rights as vendors who are trying to make a living. We are hard-working individuals trying to support our families and this heavy-handed approach by the authorities has left us shaken,” said one vendor who declined to be named.

Another vendor said: “I was setting up my wares for the day when suddenly the municipal police arrived and started grabbing our merchandise. I tried to reason with them, but before I knew it, they were pushing us around and confiscating our wares.”

The vendors also claim they were denied an option to pay a fine to repossess their wares.

Ms Esther Chimombe claimed she was manhandled and injured by municipal police after they pushed and shoved her into a council vehicle.

“I am an elderly person and my leg was injured during the raid. I suffer from arthritis and have high blood pressure. I tried to negotiate with them to pay a fine, but they would not tell me how much I should pay,” she said.

Another vendor, Mr Takunda Simango, suffered injuries on his back while trying to secure his wares.

“As you can see I have scratches on my back and I don’t know what was used to inflict these injuries. I don’t have any money on me to seek medical assistance,” he said.

Vendors for ED patron, Cde Tendai Charuka, held a meeting with the vendors last Wednesday and condemned the municipal police for their actions.

He urged the authorities to engage in dialogue with the vendors and work towards finding a solution that benefits both the vendors and the local authority.

“This is a sad development. These vendors are merely trying to eke out a living. There should be a proper and decent way of dealing with illegal vendors instead of harassing them,” said Cde Charuka.

He urged Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to allocate vending bays transparently.

“Vendors are attempting to recover from the traumatic events of the raid. They are calling for accountability and justice for those who were injured and had their goods confiscated. The incident has highlighted the challenges faced by informal traders in Bulawayo and the need for a more collaborative and respectful approach to regulating street vending in the city,” he said.

However, BCC corporate communications manager, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, denied the allegations of violence saying municipal police acted within the confines of the law.

“There were no physical altercations during operations and no force was applied. When wares are confiscated they are handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police licensing (Drill Hall) for further processing,” she said.

“Following the completion of allocations on 5th Avenue, the City of Bulawayo started enforcement to ensure that only those with licences remain on the designated site. The operation is still ongoing.”

Mrs Mpofu said the council is mindful of the needs of all stakeholders.

“Should anyone not be happy with the customer experience with any of our personnel, they are encouraged to make a report to the customer contact centre,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu said the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector encompasses multiple associations operating under the overarching entity called Bulawayo MSMEs working group.

“Council-allocated traders were sourced from these diverse associations. Particularly, priority was granted to traders previously operating on 5th Avenue who were unable to secure placements within the restricted bays that became available post the Covid-19 era,” she said.