Minister Garwe Holds Firm as Traders Seek Reprieve

Government plans to begin clearing unauthorised vending sites in Harare on Wednesday, September, saying the operation will restore order and sanitation, while trader representatives warn that removing vendors without adequate alternative markets could disrupt household incomes.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has directed traders operating outside approved sites to relocate to designated markets.

Authorities say unauthorised stalls and structures will be dismantled, with municipal police deployed to prevent traders from returning to cleared areas.

The exercise is expected to extend beyond Harare to other urban centres.

Garwe says the intervention is aimed at disorderly vending and commuter omnibus operations rather than informal livelihoods themselves.

He has also dismissed social media claims that homes will be demolished on September 9.

The Government’s position places enforcement of municipal rules at the centre of the operation. Groups representing affected traders, however, say compliance depends on whether suitable, accessible trading spaces are available.

Government cites congestion and sanitation

Authorities say trading in undesignated areas has obstructed pedestrian routes, worsened congestion, affected formal businesses and created public health concerns.

Garwe has acknowledged informal trading as a legitimate source of income but insists it must take place within municipal by-laws. Local authorities have been instructed to facilitate the registration and placement of compliant traders at approved sites.

Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana has also defended regulated vending, arguing that trading outside formal business premises can obstruct access and create unfair competition.

His intervention reinforces the Government’s distinction between recognising informal work and permitting it at unauthorised locations.

Traders question relocation capacity

The availability of alternative markets remains a major point of dispute.

Pressure group We The People has called for the September 9 deadline to be suspended, arguing that designated trading spaces are insufficient to accommodate those facing removal.

According to its lobbying document, reported by News Hour, the group is seeking a minimum 90-day pause on evictions and demolitions, dialogue with authorities and temporary operating permits while permanent trading infrastructure is developed.

It also proposes a joint taskforce to identify and develop additional markets. The group says traders are willing to register and pay municipal fees but need serviced places from which to operate.

The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation has similarly questioned whether the operation supports the Government’s informal economy formalisation objectives.

It argues that relocation should help traders enter safer and more secure economic activity, rather than simply remove them from existing workplaces.

Accessibility concerns raised

For traders with disabilities, the dispute also concerns whether alternative markets will be accessible.

The Global Association for Equalisation and Development has urged Harare City Council to provide suitable vending sites and allow additional time for relocation.

Speaking at a council pre-budget consultation, the organisation’s director, Robert Jambaya, appealed for accommodation during the transition.

“We are requesting a grace period when the operation starts, until we find an alternative vending site,” he said, according to The Herald.

Resistance ahead of enforcement

Some street traders have indicated that they intend to remain at their workplaces despite the deadline.

In interviews published by NewZimbabwe, vendors described street trading as their principal means of supporting their families and questioned how they would survive after removal.

Their comments indicate resistance among some affected traders, although they do not establish how widely any refusal to relocate will be observed.

The Government maintains that traders must use designated markets. Trader representatives are seeking assurances about capacity, registration and continuity of income before enforcement begins.

The reports reviewed do not establish how many usable alternative stalls are available, how many traders require placement or whether the requested grace periods will be granted. Detailed arrangements for the commuter omnibus component of the operation also remain unclear.