THE Plumtree Combined Residents and Development Association (PCRADA) is locked in a dispute with the Plumtree Town Council over its plans to chase away informal traders from the central business district (CBD).
According to PCRADA, the informal traders who run several spaza shops were instrumental in helping Plumtree achieve its town status.
Once seen as key contributors to the community, the informal traders are now branded as illegal vendors, sparking a fierce pushback by the informal traders.
According to a Plumtree Town Council notice, dated February 13,2024, titled “Enforcement order for removal of illegal structures,” council resolved to demolish the vending structures.
“Owners of the said properties are advised to comply with the directive issued in order to avoid unnecessary costs associated with council proceeding to perform on behalf the offenders,” the notice reads.
“Failure to comply with this order, will leave council with no option but to evoke provisions of section 32, part 2 subsection C of the Regional, Town and Country Planning Act 29:12 as read with provisions of the Model Building by-laws chapter 2 section 42 subsection 3 that :
"The local authority may direct the owner or tenant of any site upon which there has been erected a structure falling within the terms of this part to remove such structure from the site if at any time the structure becomes unsightly or likely to depreciate the value of any neighbouring premises in any way offensive.”
PCRADA chairperson Richard Khumalo told Sunday Southern Eye that they were challenging the council resolution.
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“We as Plumtree combined residents and development association (PCRADA) don't support the resolution...,” Khumalo said.
“The town achieved its town status through these same people who are now taken as vendors with illegal/unapproved structures yet some of them were provided with trading licenses in those same structures by our respected local authority.”
Khumalo said the resolution was divorced from obtaining economic realities where the majority of Zimbabweans are surviving on vending due to lack of formal jobs.
“Truly speaking, stopping vendors from operating in that kind of manner it's like you are saying the whole Plumtree residents must suffer,” he said.
“Two thirds of Plumtree Town are vendors, operating in unapproved structures since before the town got its town status.
“We pay council rates, school fees and feed our families out of it.
“So it's impossible to stop vendors from operating under this economic hardship.”
He called on the council to allow time for further consultations on the matter.
“The above resolution must be suspended until the local authority provides a conducive trading area with legal, approved structures for their respected clients” he said.
“They gave us a deadline through the court that in December, the affected people should have legal structures but then we don’t have the money and the economic situation is bad.”
Plumtree Town acting town secretary, Thembalami Nyoni, said they will forge ahead with the council resolution to remove informal traders from the CBD.
“An illegality cannot be condoned in a progressive society,” he said.
“The structures do not meet the required standard and were never approved by council.”
Nyoni also said the informal traders were offside to claim credit for the town status.
“Secondly, the basis of town status was not granted through vendors, the Urban Councils Act is clear how a town comes into being by a presidential proclamation,” he said.
“None of the illegal structures have a permit or approval certificate from council.
“A vendor can acquire a trading licence to operate from only designated points, the licence cannot be transferable to use in illegal structures.”
Plumtree was granted town status in 2002.
In 2019, the town applied for municipal status.
If granted, Plumtree will become the third municipality in Matabeleland South after Gwanda and Beitbridge.
