Informal traders and residents’ associations in Harare have welcomed the move by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) to launch an investigation into the eviction of vendors and demolitions of houses built on undesignated land.
BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
This comes after councils in major cities and towns confiscated vendors’ wares and demolishing illegally built houses.
The Vendors’ Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) said the move by the ZHRC was long overdue.
Viset director Samuel Wadzayi said the manner in which vendors were removed from their vending sites without the provision of a clear alternative was a flagrant human rights violation that must be investigated without fear or favour.
“Under Section 64 of the Constitution, citizens have a right to freely choose a trade or occupation,” Wadzayi said.
“Although the exercise of this freedom may be limited by law, this limitation is a guided limitation and must be justified. Viset is of the opinion that the limitation is not justifiable as it has led to untold suffering of millions of vendors in Zimbabwe.”
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He said many vendors and their families, drawn from the most economically-marginalised and vulnerable sectors, were left without any source of livelihood in the face of the country’s calamitous downward economic spiral.
“The criminalisation of vending and the subsequent forceful removal of vendors from their vending sites is an abrogation by the State of its obligation to fulfil the constitutional National Objectives under Section 13 (to promote private initiatives aimed at self-reliance), and Section 24 (the removal of all inhibitions that prevent the citizens of Zimbabwe from working or otherwise engaging in gainful economic endeavours),” Wadzayi said.
“Viset urges all the municipalities to co-operate with the ZHRC during this very important process. As an organisation, Viset will fully support the investigation and will provide the ZHRC with all the necessary information that they will require.”
Combined Harare Residents’ Association chairperson Simbarashe Moyo said it was disheartening to note that the investigation was being launched only after people had been victimised.
“I thought as an active commission this should have been done long back. If they were serious they should have launched this prior to the demolitions and compel the local authorities to follow due process,” Moyo said.
“However, we hope they will do a thorough job and we will see some remedies as a body tasked by the whole nation to monitor human rights issues. We are prepared to make our submissions.”
National Vendors’ Union of Zimbabwe boss Sten Zvorwadza said his organisation supported any investigation that supported citizens.
“There is a lot of corruption in the informal sector and it is going on in particular, directly linked to vending. This serious abuse by the municipal police is not being controlled by the minister and his staff, which means they are not interested in tackling it. But when it comes to confiscation and demolitions, they are very active,” Zvorwadza said.
“The investigation should come and address issues bringing out objective outcomes on these problems we are facing as vendors. At least we need policy protection. The commission should surely produce a report on the Zimbabwean government’s hypocrisy.”
