Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
BULAWAYO \u2013 The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has ramped up its enforcement of vending bylaws, conducting daily raids across the Central Business District (CBD) to clear illegal traders from streets and pavements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the operation faces resistance from vendors\u2014and allegations of political interference in one key area where traders operate “with impunity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Council Vows to Restore Order<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have confiscated fresh produce, clothing, and pushcarts while issuing fines to unlicensed vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mayor David Coltart emphasized that the crackdown aims to decongest the city while directing traders to approved sites like Egodini and Bhaktas Market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are not depriving people of a livelihood but enforcing bylaws to maintain order,” Said Coltart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There are designated markets where vendors can register and operate legally.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Town Clerk Christopher Dube warned that unauthorized trading\u2014including street vending, car washes, and commuter omnibus operations\u2014violates municipal regulations and public health standards. Under Statutory Instrument 220 of 2023, pushcarts are banned in the CBD, with offenders facing fines and confiscations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vendors Push Back: “We\u2019re Just Trying to Survive”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While some traders have relocated, others defy the raids, citing poor business conditions at formal markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The designated sites are too far and lack customers,” said Tawanda Bere, a vendor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sithabile Lunga, a vegetable seller, described a daily struggle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We hide our goods because if they seize them, we lose everything.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Political “No-Go Zone” Emerges on 5th Avenue<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A glaring exception to the crackdown exists along 5th Avenue, where vendors claim ZANU-PF officials permit them to trade illegally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“ZANU-PF placed us here because there\u2019s nowhere else to sell from,” vendor Aron Ncube told Zim GBC News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We know it\u2019s against the law, but this is how we survive.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The area\u2014stretching from Jason Moyo to Herbert Chitepo Street\u2014has become chaotic, with vendors obstructing traffic and sidewalks. Municipal police reportedly avoid the zone, fueling accusations of selective enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bhaktas Market Offers Hope<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The council has secured $200,000 from Switzerland to upgrade Bhaktas Market, which will house 500 vendors with proper sanitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until completion, tensions persist between authorities desperate to clean up the CBD and traders fighting for economic survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This is about more than bylaws\u2014it\u2019s about unemployment and political patronage,” said analyst Linda Sibanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Without jobs or affordable legal vending spaces, the cat-and-mouse game will continue.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As raids intensify, Bulawayo\u2019s struggle highlights Zimbabwe\u2019s broader informal economy crisis\u2014where survival often trumps regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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