By Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Zim GBC News Editor
Bulawayo – Thousands of vendors across Zimbabwe are openly flouting a government ban on second-hand clothing imports and night vending, igniting a standoff between desperate citizens and authorities determined to “clean cities” by December.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe’s fortnight-old prohibition has collapsed as vendors flood Harare and Bulawayo streets after dark.
“We’re unemployed. Should we starve indoors?” challenged Rudo Murotsi, a Mufakose mother selling bales of clothes.
“Formal jobs don’t exist – this feeds my children.”
Voices of Defiance:
· Leroy Kufa (Glen View graduate): “I’ve vended since 2015. This paid my siblings’ school fees. How else do we survive?”
· Minister Garwe (at council workshop): “Night vending is just drugs and substance abuse! Who shops at 1 AM? We’ll clear all cities by December – these are Presidential directives.”
Government’s Hardline Stance:
Garwe announced sweeping measures:
- Total ban on second-hand clothing imports “killing our cotton industry”
- Immediate removal of street vendors
- Criminalization of night trading
“We created this mess – now we’ll make tough decisions,” he declared, citing a new Statutory Instrument empowering councils.
Economic Reality Check:
Vendors argue the bans ignore Zimbabwe’s economic collapse.
“When industry shuts down, bales become lifelines,” said a Bulawayo trader operating covertly.
Garwe dismissed this:
“Zimbabwe can’t be defined by used clothes on pavements. Cleanliness is non-negotiable.”
Police and municipal officers now face mounting pressure to enforce the unpopular crackdown before year-end.
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