Loosely translated into English, the name mupedzanhamo means “the solution to poverty”.
For vendors that sell at the popular Mupedzanhamo flea market in Mbare, this translation has not brought an end to their troubles, but has in fact, ushered in more trouble in the form of the dreaded Chipangano, a shadowy militia group suspected to have links with Zanu PF.
Chipangano has caused untold havoc at Mupedzanhamo and other council-run properties around Harare, to such an extent that in some areas, the Harare City Council has been prejudiced of thousands of dollars in rentals which are now being paid to the feared group.
Vendors at various markets around the city are reportedly being forced to pay between $1 and $5 to Chipangano daily and municipal police can no longer monitor illegal vending, especially in Mbare, because vendors would have paid to the militias to be allowed to operate.
Reports also say vendors have complained they are forced to attend meetings organised by Zanu PF including burial of national heroes, Independence celebrations and rallies.Failure to attend meetings results in vendors losing their stalls.
Maidei Murwira (not her real name), who rents a stall at Mupedzanhamo, opened up to NewsDay and said she was forced by Chipangano to attend Zanu PF meetings because they said it was compulsory.
“Chipangano forces us to go to meetings. They are compulsory. You just have to attend if you want to keep selling in Mupedzanhamo. We rent our stalls from other people who probably got them through Zanu PF, so we just have to attend their meetings,” she said.
Murwira added: “Every month we pay $200 to owners of the stalls and an extra $63 is supposed to go to council, but we are not sure whether this money ends up at council. Those who sell second-hand clothes by the roadside outside the market are forced to pay between $5 and $10.”
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A statement released by the Combined Harare Residents’ Association (CHRA) recently bemoaned the terror tactics employed by Chipangano as the group went around the city harassing and intimidating vendors who refused to pay them.
“Zanu PF is still holding on to council premises through which council is supposed to be earning some revenue, but all the money is being pocketed by Zanu PF youth militia,” wrote CHRA. “Only a quarter of business operators in Mbare do consistently pay each month towards monthly service charges. However, most operators who do not sympathise with Zanu PF have been chased away from Magaba, Siyaso, Mupedzanhamo and Masimbi,” wrote CHRA.
CHRA said it was disturbing that all those markets had been turned into “Zanu PF districts” with established cells to allow for “a micro-inspection of members”.
“Every two hours, there is a Zanu PF meeting in these districts and that is where funds are also collected. Members who abscond from these meetings risk losing their market stalls, and this is done violently and many of them dread being engulfed in such a situation,” added CHRA.
Two months ago, Charles Nyatsuro, Council Housing and Community Services Committee chairperson told NewsDay the situation had deteriorated to such an extent that Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo was worried about it.
“We are not getting anything from the markets as these people are taking the money at Mupedzanhamo, Mbare Musika and other council businesses,” Nyatsuro said.
In February, Chipangano members, wielding stones and clubs, reportedly attacked workers building a service station and food court in Mbare where they also looted some property.
It was alleged they were protesting against the construction of the service station on space they claimed to belong to them.
Criminal activity has increased in Mbare since the police were reluctant to act against the shadowy group causing crime gangs to commit persistent crimes by pretending to be members of Chipangano.
Crime gangs operating at Matapi and Matererini flats in the suburb pretend to be members of Chipangano in order to evade arrest.
Added to gruesome acts, Chipangano is said to have vowed not to move out of Carter House, a council-owned property in Mbare which they are reported to have invaded and turned into a torture camp.
They are also accused of collecting money from kombi operators at commuter omnibus ranks around the city.
A kombi operator, who declined to be named for fear of victimisation, said the militant group was now forcibly collecting money from kombis in ranks. Those that refused to comply risked being banned from using ranks.
“They (Chipangano) impose themselves as rank marshals. Every time you load, you leave a dollar and if your kombi is above an 18-seater, you pay $2. In Mbare the fees are higher; it is $2 for kombis and $4 for buses. The money is then submitted to Zanu PF district offices at 4th Street and at another office in Mbare. The people who collect the money take a certain percentage and submit the rest to Zanu PF,” the kombi operator said.
However, a State newspaper recently claimed that Zanu PF disowned Chipangano and the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee said the “criminal organisation” was not affiliated to any party.
