Bulawayo vendors have been urged to seek government intervention to stop their continued harassment and confiscation of their wares by municipal police as well as the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Addressing nearly 100 vendors at a meeting on Monday, Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (Bupra) secretary Anglestone Sibanda said vendors should take their grievances to government ministers.
“These days no family in Zimbabwe can say they do not benefit from informal trading,” he said. “The government must come to an agreement to see informal trading as a big business.
“Let vending businesses be respected by the government.
“Vendors are chased by police and harassed because you are still not respected as businesspeople.”
Sibanda also lamented delays in the disbursement of soft loans for small to medium-size enterprises and the confusion surrounding the release of the remaining $10 million earmarked for the Distressed and Marginalised Areas Fund (Dimaf).
“No one among us has benefited from the youth and women’s funds. The Dimaf money has also remained a pipedream,” he said.
Speaking at the same function, Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo said the council was not involved in disbursement of business loans.
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He skirted allegations of harassment of vendors by the municipal police.
