People’s Parliament Petitions Minister Garwe Over ‘Impossible’ 7-Day Eviction Ultimatum for informal traders

By Staff Writer

HARARE – A representative body for the informal sector has filed an urgent petition to Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, describing a government directive to vacate urban trading sites within seven days as an “impossible mandate” that threatens to plunge thousands of families into destitution.

The petition, authored by the organization “We the People – People’s Parliament,” was submitted on behalf of street vendors, micro-entrepreneurs, and night market operators across the Harare Metropolitan Province and other urban centers. It comes in response to a ministerial press statement issued on September 2, 2024, which ordered all informal traders to relocate to “lawful, designated vending markets” by Wednesday, September 9.

Signed by the committee’s Chairperson, Thembakhuye Moyo, and Secretary, Tafadzwa Kutya, the document—titled “We Have a Right to Belong to the City”—argues that the infrastructure required to comply with the order simply does not exist.

“Non-Existent” Designated Spaces

The central grievance of the petition is the lack of alternative trading sites. The group alleges that local authorities do not have the capacity to house the current informal workforce.

“The Harare City Council and neighboring local authorities do not currently possess vacant, equipped, or safe market stalls capable of absorbing even 5% of the existing informal trading workforce within seven days,” the petition reads.

The organization stressed that traders are not operating in unauthorized areas out of “lawlessness or a desire to obstruct traffic,” but rather because they have been left with no other choice. They expressed an “eager” desire to be legalized, registered, and to pay municipal fees in exchange for sheltered, serviced markets.

Policy Contradictions

The petition further accuses the Ministry of contradicting the government’s own policy frameworks, specifically the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030.

While the Minister’s directive cited these strategies as the basis for a “clean and safe” environment, the traders’ representatives reminded the government that NDS2 explicitly commits to the “formalization of the informal economy through inclusive growth.” They argued that demolition without provision of alternative sites violates the spirit of “decent work” promised under the national roadmap.

A Call for Collaboration

Warning that an immediate crackdown would lead to “absolute destitution” for honest families, “We the People” called for an immediate extension of the September 9 deadline.

Instead of forced evictions, the group is requesting a “collaborative roadmap toward regularization,” urging the Ministry to work with traders to develop the necessary infrastructure before enforcement begins.

Minister Daniel Garwe has yet to publicly respond to the petition. However, the looming Wednesday deadline has sparked significant anxiety across Harare’s bustling informal markets, which serve as the primary source of income for the majority of the city’s residents.