The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is furious over the government’s sudden move to ban street vending and the sale of second-hand clothes in city centres, saying the decision is out of line and hurting people just trying to make a living.
On Tuesday, 05 August, CHRA Chairperson David Pasipanodya called the ban heavy-handed and a clear sign that the government isn’t serious about following the country’s devolution laws.
According to him, such decisions should be made by local authorities, not dictated from above. Said Pasipanodya:
This intervention by the Ministry of Local Government is a clear reflection of the failure of the implementation of devolution within the local authority, the decision was made from an autocratic position.
The City of Harare has to run the operations within the City in accordance with Section 264 of the Constitution, the procedure should be done in accordance with the Constitution.
The informal sector has for years been complimenting the formal sector as there has been emergence of formal businesses operating 24/7 in the CBD over the years.
He added that with the economy being what it is, a lot of families rely on vending to put food on the table.
With no proper vending spaces in place, traders have been left with few choices. Said Pasipanodya:
The ban is a serious area of concern which must not be underplayed, and requires thorough investigation which include addressing the fundamental factors which push people to be informal business operators and analysis on the implication on livelihoods.
CHRA has called on the government to take a step back and hand power back to local councils, work with the Ministry of SMEs, and, most importantly, listen to the informal traders themselves.
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