Zanu PF Worried About Vendor Anger, Sources Say

Story By Kenneth Nyangani

The government and Zanu PF are facing a tough decision on street vendors. Many Zimbabweans are angry about the economy. Many are also angry about recent changes to the constitution. Sources say the ruling party doesn’t want to force vendors off the streets right now. They’re afraid it could spark public anger. Instead, some officials have been blaming the Harare City Council for the crackdown.

There’s also reported tension inside Zanu PF. Provincial leaders reportedly asked the Local Government Ministry and Zanu PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri not to demolish tuckshops at Fourth Street. Sources say these tuckshops are linked to ruling party officials. A demolition order was reportedly issued for them.

At the same time, the push to change the constitution through Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 has caused public frustration. Critics say the bill could extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s time in power. Sources say authorities were worried that a clash with vendors right now could lead to bigger unrest.

Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe and Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume have been leading efforts to clear vendors from the streets.

This week, Zanu PF held a press conference in Harare. Party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said the crackdown was being driven by the Harare City Council, not the party.

Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told Parliament he believes the same thing. He said the council designs its own layout plans. The central government’s role, he said, is only to make sure those plans follow the city’s approved master plan.

Sources also said a demolition order exists for several tuckshops at Fourth Street. According to those sources, Zanu PF officials have been collecting weekly payments from vendors there.

A source at Harare City Council explained: “We have a demolition order for tuckshops at Fourth Street, but Zanu-PF provincial chairman Goodwills Masimembwa approached the party leadership so that the tuckshops cannot be demolished.” Masimembwa could not be reached for comment.

Across Harare, municipal police say they’re struggling to keep up. “We have been simply overpowered by vendors. There are many of them; even if we employ more, we don’t have money to pay them,” one council source said.

Mayor Mafume recently said the council needs to hire more municipal police to deal with illegal vending.

Sam Wadzai leads the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset). He said vendors are responding to real economic hardship, not breaking rules for no reason.

“I think the bigger issue is that Harare City Council must learn to do things the right way,” Wadzai said. “You cannot sustainably deal with vending simply by sending municipal police into the streets to chase people away. Vendors are responding to a real economic need, and if there are no viable, affordable and properly serviced trading spaces, they will keep returning to the streets.”

He said enforcement alone won’t work. The government and council need a proper plan instead. That means finding and preparing trading sites, sharing them fairly, keeping fees affordable, adding basic infrastructure, and applying the rules consistently. Moving vendors by force, he added, won’t solve anything unless these deeper problems are fixed.

Precious Shumba directs the Harare Residents Trust. He said vendors won’t leave easily. “Vendors will remain where they are as long as local authorities and the government have not provided alternative places to operate from,” he said.

Reuben Akili directs the Combined Harare Residents Association. He said poverty is the real driver. “What is pushing the vendors out there is poverty,” he said. “As long as we do not put up a strong economy and create jobs and other alternatives… we will continue to see the vendors.”

Harare City Council has also faced criticism. It has reportedly collected money through its Small and Medium Enterprises programme, but has failed to create enough vending sites.

Denford Ngadziore is Ward 16 councillor and chairman of the council’s Small and Medium Enterprises Committee. He confirmed the vendor issue remains a major topic. “In every ward we have designed places for vendors; that is my response. I don’t want to comment further,” he said.

Reporting based on original coverage by The Standard.