adminLiberty Dube Weekender Reporter
ILLEGAL street vendors in Mutare on Wednesday clashed with municipal police during the relocation exercise, which the vendors described as chaotic.
The relocation exercise, which is meant to bring sanity to the eastern border city, was received with resistance, particularly by vendors who were on the waiting list and subsequently failed to acquire alternative vending booths at the new designated sites.
The vendors were forced off the streets by municipal police.
Some of them who threatened to become violent had their wares confiscated by the municipal police and were on Wednesday afternoon seen wandering around the Civic Centre trying in vain to get their wares back.
Vendors selling wares like clothes had by Wednesday morning moved to Chidzere Bar, while those selling vegetables had moved to an open space near Price Kings.
Those at Sakubva flea market were yet to move to the proposed designated stalls at Murapa Tavern.
Vendors who spoke to The Manica Post said although they embraced the council’s initiative to move them to decent stalls to sell their wares, they felt the local authority did not do justice by “dumping” and failing “dismally” to deal with vendors who were registered, but could not fit into the new sites because of congestion.
“They are heartless and inconsiderate,” said a visibly angry Moses Muradzikwa (26), a registered cellphone accessories vendor whose wares were confiscated by the municipal police.
“They have let us down. What are they going to do with people like us who could not get space at the so-called designated places? Where are we supposed to go? This is not what we agreed on at Mutare Hall last week. We have nowhere to go. They don’t want us on the streets,” he added.
Joyce Musakape (30), a widow with three children, said she was advised by a municipal police officer to “go home and rest” if she does not have anywhere to legally sell her wares.
“This morning I got into town to do business as usual, only to realise that the police had taken away my wares where I usually keep them for the night. They confiscated them and now can’t release them. I have 4Rand on me and can’t go back to Dangamvura where I stay. I don’t know what to do and it seems they are clueless on where to accommodate some of us who could not get a vending stall at designated places. We are on the waiting list,” said an emotional Chirozva.
Christina Murima said she was shocked to see an unknown vendor occupying her place at Chidzere Bar, alleging that the council had double-allocated some of the vending slots.
“I am sure that some of the vendors who occupied slots at the vending area at Chidzere were not registered. I woke up today to see someone occupying my place, claiming she was a registered vendor and was given a card by the council to occupy that place, something which I also did. This happened to a lot of other people. It is worrying because we don’t have anywhere to go.
“We want to comply with the Government’s directive, but the way the city council conducted the exercise was chaotic and unprofessional. It was also not transparent. How can they remove all of us from the streets yet don’t have adequate space to accommodate us?,” she asked.
While some vendors were seen wandering around town pondering the next move, municipal police were also roaming the street pavements restoring order.
Some vendors welcomed the relocation, saying it had brought sanity and order in the city.
“As you can, see we are settled here. We thank Mutare City Council for this and we hope to work well,” said Charity Mujuko, who sells winter clothing at Chidzere Bar.
When contacted for comment, Mutare Town Clerk Mr Obert Muzawazi promised to accommodate all vendors who were not allocated vending booths at designated places by looking for more vending sites.
“Our intention is to create space for every vendor. We have in mind that livelihoods would be affected if these vendors are forced to go back home and become idle. Our priority is to accommodate every vendor in the near future and make sure all is in place. The exercise went on well and as per our plan although we received with concern that some people who were not registered managed to acquire some vending booths at the designated points.
“The process was a Government’s directive and we want it to sail smoothly. We also intend to build more ablution facilities near the new vending sites and our engineers are working on it. Vendors must bear with us and help us work towards achieving our ultimate goal to bring sanity to the city of Mutare,” he said.
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