‘Order must be maintained’: Govt orders crackdown on illegal Harare vendors defying eviction

THE government has declared that illegal vending in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD) “is no longer acceptable” and “no longer business as usual”, with authorities moving to enforce the use of designated markets and vending bays.

Local Government minister Daniel Garwe issued the warning on Monday, saying the deterioration of urban order in the capital was undermining Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 goal of becoming an Upper-Middle Income economy.

“This is not a declaration of war against vendors and informal traders, but a desire to bring back orderliness and cleanliness in the City,” Garwe said.

He cited public health risks, congestion, blocked pedestrian walkways, and drug and substance abuse as some of the consequences of uncontrolled vending.

The minister specifically warned of the risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera as a result of trading in areas without adequate sanitation and access to clean water.

Garwe said Harare’s identity as the “Sunshine City” was under threat, pointing to “littered streets, open defaecation in service lanes, blocked pavements, makeshift trading spaces and a general erosion of civic discipline.”

He warned that trading in areas without sanitation facilities and proper waste management posed a serious risk to public health.

Garwe noted that government had already invested in infrastructure, including designated vending bays in Mbare, Mabvuku, Borrowdale and around the Coca-Cola area.

However, he said many of the facilities remained underutilised “white elephants” while traders continued to occupy pavements and road reserves.

The minister placed responsibility on both the City Council and vendors’ associations to ensure the facilities were made functional.

He also flagged the Trabablas Interchange as a new congestion point resulting from illegal trading.

“Every pavement occupied illegally is a pedestrian displaced. Every blocked road is a business disrupted,” he said.

“Order must be maintained, not periodically restored.”

Garwe called for a “whole of society approach” involving government, the private sector, residents and traders to restore Harare’s status as the “Sunshine City”.

The government’s crackdown has, however, been met with resistance from street vendors, who have vowed to defy the order to vacate the streets.

The vendors have described the seven-day ultimatum issued last week, which ends September 9, as insensitive and out of touch with the harsh economic realities forcing thousands of Zimbabweans into informal trading.

Some vendors said they would not leave the streets, insisting informal trading was their only means of survival in an economy where formal employment opportunities remain scarce.

The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) said it recognised the government’s responsibility to maintain clean and orderly urban environments, but urged authorities to implement any measures in line with the National Informal Economy Formalisation Strategy adopted by the government in April 2026. _*NewZimbabwe*_