THE government has bowed to pressure from various sectors and moved the deadline for vendors to vacate the central business district (CBD) to June 26 to allow for systematic relocation of the hawkers to designated areas, NewsDay can reveal.
BY MOSES MATENGA
Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo this week gave vendors up to Monday to move out of Harare’s CBD, failure of which the army and other security agents would forcibly eject them from the streets.
But Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development minister Sithembiso Nyoni yesterday said Cabinet had on Thursday rescinded the decision and extended the deadline to June 26.
“On June 26, we are going to launch the solution. From June 26, anybody who is not registered as a vendor and has no card and number will not be allowed in the city of Harare,” Nyoni said at a Press conference.
“I am sure you heard that the ultimatum was next week, but Local Government and my ministry have negotiated to have a smooth process together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and other ministries. If any of the vendors have a problem, let them approach their associations registered with my ministry and Local Government.”
Nyoni said the government was coming up with proper vending sites and claimed small and medium enterprises (SMEs) would be funded by individual Zanu PF politburo members and other well-wishers. She said an SMEs fund would be launched on June 15.
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“The SMEs fund is coming from well-wishers and some of the politburo members whom I approached,” she said.
“From June 8 to June 14, vendors are asked to clean Harare. You have to do it yourself.”
Nyoni said the relocation would be conducted in stages to allow the company tasked with construction of new stalls to complete the programme.
She urged vendors to approach proper organisations and not barons who were collecting money from them.
Nyoni said her ministry had not been making noise as officials were working towards a lasting solution, adding that the country could not afford to be a nation of vendors.
Harare town clerk Tendai Mahachi said the city would make the relocations in a peaceful and harmonious manner. He said vendors would be moved to proper places, describing the informal sector as a vehicle for economic growth.
The government was reportedly divided over the proposed use of the army with Chombo and Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi speaking with different voices on the matter.
Several organisations, civic society and opposition players had threatened “war” if the government had gone ahead to unleash the army on vendors.
