Harare mayor Jacob Mafume has vowed to end the vendor menace that has gripped the capital.
The menace, which has literally turned the capital upside down, has seen illegal vendors on street pavements selling the same wares as the shops.
“Vendors just see a place and put a cardboard box, and it's undesirable. They sell the same things that are being sold in the supermarkets yet they are not paying rates,” Mafume said.
“So we are going to create areas where vendors have to operate. We are also going to create streets that are no-go areas for vending.”
This is a bold statement which, if implemented, will return the glow to the once sunshine city.
The influx of vendors in the CBD has seen some companies relocating to areas out of town as they flee the chaos.
The vendor menace, has been compounded by illegal pirate taxis, mishikashika, which have created a mess.
The once sunshine city should, however, also shoulder the blame for the chaos. It created a holding bay for kombis along Coventry Road.
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It has been lying idle raising questions on whether the city fathers did their homework before embarking on the now white elephant project.
Walking in town is now risky due to running battles between mishikashika and municipal police officers. Many a time, pedestrians have to run for dear life as municipal police chase the mishikashika.
Enforcing by-laws requires an upright authority. It will be difficult for municipal officers to enforce by-laws when they have gone for two months without a salary. That alone creates a breeding ground for corruption.
It's not that vendors don't “pay” rates. They pay “rates” daily or weekly not to council but to space barons that found sanctuary in the ruling Zanu PF party.
This brings another issue of politics. The opposition-run council alleges that Zanu PF pulls the strings behind the scenes.
They create co-operatives which are given space to operate from in town without the blessings of the local authority.
The touts, vendors and space barons pay allegiance to Zanu PF and have vowed to stay put. They see their hustles as a form of empowerment availed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Yet it is the City of Harare which is supposed to clean the streets after vendors are done with their business.
So creative are the vendors that they are those that operate at night when municipal officers would have knocked off from work.
Bringing back the sunshine status to Harare requires political will. It is the duty of the government to help the city to maintain order.
When the capital is in bad shape, it reflects badly on the country and works against the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.
This is no longer about the opposition-run council. It is about brand Zimbabwe which is at stake.
