HARARE vendors have filed an urgent High Court application, seeking an order barring the local authority from forcibly removing them from the central business district.
BY MUNESU NYAKUDYA
Council last week gave vendors a 48-hour ultimatum to move to designated vending sites and on Wednesday started confiscating defiant vendors’ wares, accusing them of fuelling the spread of typhoid.
This prompted the Vendors’ Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset), through its lawyer, Tonderai Bhatasara, to seek recourse at the High Court. They cited Harare City Council, Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri as respondents. The vendors accused the city council of misdirecting its efforts, saying typhoid was being driven by the municipality’s failure to collect garbage, provide clean water and ensure ablution facilities.
But council spokesperson, Michael Chideme, said the court application would not stop the blitz.
“There is no going back because we are doing this for the good of the public. We are currently in the streets removing the vendors,” he said.
Typhoid has already claimed two lives this year.
