Rumbidzai Ngwenya
HUNDREDS of vendors have returned to illegal hawking sites along roads as the Harare City Councils (HCC) has failed to open Mupedzanhamo and Shawasha markets as promised.
Early this year illegal structures near the two markets used by the illegal vendors were demolished with minister of State for Provincial Affairs; Harare Metropolitan Province Oliver Chidawu announcing at the time that the government was going to immediately reopen Mupedzanhamo and Shawasha markets to accommodate all vendors.
But speaking to the Daily News yesterday, HCC spokesperson Michael Chideme could not give reasons behind the delayed reopening.
“I cannot say much on the issue of reopening Mupedzanhamo or that of Shawasha market now. I will keep you informed of any other developments but for now I would not want to seem like I will be lying to the people,” said Chideme.
Meanwhile, the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) executive director, Samuel Wadzai has described the City’s failure to afford informal traders safe working places as “lack of seriousness.”
“We were expecting that by now that the reconstruction of markets would have been completed given the timeline that the HCC shared with us,” said Wadzai.
“Work should have been completed a long time back considering the fact that resources were actually availed for that purpose.”
Wadzai blasted the council for focusing on collecting taxes at the expense of development.
“We are not happy because the pace is not appeasing at all, we need infrastructure and proper markets so that informal traders are able to work in spaces that are clean and allow them to make money.
“We cannot continue to allow local authorities to just focus on collecting taxes at the expense of developing infrastructure so that we work from safe spaces.
“So if they want us to pay taxes then they should create an enabling working environment to make profits and be able to pay taxes,” he said.
In January Chidawu said the government was committed to providing safe working spaces for vendors.
“I would like to reiterate our commitment to providing safe work spaces to traders and affording them an opportunity for beneficial working partnerships with our local authorities.
“It is our intention to improve the governance culture and ensure compliance with the rule of law within our jurisdiction. It is only by restoring order that we attract both domestic and foreign investment and ultimately achieve an upper middle income society as envisaged by Vision 2030,” he said.