GWANDA municipality, with the assistance of the Zimbabwe Republic Police has conducted raids on vendors in the central business district, throwing many vendors out of business.
Gwanda-based Human rights watchdog, Coalition for Citizens Advocates (COCA), told Southern Eye yesterday that the operation mainly targeted those selling vegetables.
“This action has left many citizens with more questions to ask on the conduct of the authorities which are the custodians of the people,” COCA representative Wilbert Ndiweni said.
“A lot of goods are being destroyed, which means more suffering to the already over-taxed citizens of Zimbabwe. They first collect US$1 from each vendor and thereafter they come and harass them.”
He said as much as they appreciated that some of the vendors were operating illegally, efforts should be made to legalise them.
“Considering the socio-economic challenges that the people of Gwanda are facing, the local authority and the police must find ways to handle this issue in a way that is amicable so that we don’t continue experiencing such things," he said.
Affected vendors told Southern Eye that they lost a lot of goods during the raids.
“There are no jobs in the country and our only option is vending,” a vendor said.
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Mayor Njabulo Siziba said he was attending a workshop in Harare, adding that he would respond later to the questions sent to him.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena said Gwanda municipality and police on October 10 and 11 conducted an operation code-named Chamupupuri (whirlwind), which resulted in the arrest of 26 people for touting, blocking pavements and public drinking.
“Some of the arrested people were vending, while others were foreign currency traders. On September 21 to 23, the police and council conducted another operation code-named Iva Panzvimbo which resulted in the arrest of eight people, mostly for the same offences,” Mangena said, adding that police would work with council to weed out criminal activities in the town.
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