Authorities have intensified the crackdown on illegal vending and structures in Harare, with 2 475 illegal businesses affected and 1 137 structures removed since the launch of Operation Chenesa Final on September 9.
The latest figures are contained in a Situation Report compiled by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The operation is aimed at restoring order in the capital while addressing public safety, environmental concerns and the use of public spaces.
According to the Ministry, the operation seeks to restore “public safety, environmental integrity, order, and sustainable urban development through the removal of illegal structures and regulation of vending in undesignated areas”.
The authorities also said the operation was intended to “make the city healthier and safer by promoting cleanliness, environmental protection, and sustainable land use”.
During the latest enforcement exercise, 255 illegal businesses were affected. These included 201 vending activities, 20 clothes-selling businesses, 11 snooker operations, four furniture businesses, four tyre businesses and a car wash.
Authorities also removed 54 illegal structures, bringing the overall number of structures removed since the operation began to 1 137.
The structures removed during the latest exercise included 36 billboards, nine wood and metal structures, four vending stalls and six gazebos.
The operation covered several areas, including Borrowdale Road, First and Fourth Streets in the central business district, Kirkman Road, Harare Drive, Sherwood, Helensvale, the Samora Machel Avenue and Fifth Street intersection, Ruzende and Mabelreign shops.
The Ministry said teams were targeting undesignated vending areas and enforcing municipal by-laws as part of efforts to improve urban management.
The crackdown has so far resulted in 32 arrests, while 148 people received verbal warnings and 239 fines were issued. The fines amounted to US$2 570.
A total of 141 personnel took part in the latest operation. The team comprised 40 Civil Protection members, 74 City of Harare municipal police officers, six local authority officials and 21 general hands.
The operation was supported by 20 vehicles and pieces of equipment, including six tipper trucks, two front-end loaders, seven lorries, one tow truck and four roving vehicles.
The Ministry said continued monitoring would be required to prevent traders from returning to areas that have already been cleared.
“Continued enforcement and monitoring remain necessary to prevent the re-occupation of cleared road verges and other public spaces,” the Ministry said.
However, authorities also called for continued engagement with affected traders and greater public awareness.
“Sustained dialogue, public awareness, and engagement with vendors are essential to promote compliance and facilitate its relocation to authorised municipal markets,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry recommended the establishment of permanent joint monitoring teams in cleared areas, faster preparation of designated vending sites and increased awareness campaigns on municipal by-laws and public health requirements.
It also called for authorities to “accelerate infrastructural readiness at authorised alternative vending markets to absorb displaced traders”.
Operation Chenesa remains ongoing, with joint task force teams conducting daily operations in targeted parts of Harare.
The Ministry and City of Harare said enforcement would continue as they pursue public safety, environmental protection and more orderly urban development.
