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GOVERNMENT has directed all local authorities to clear illegal vending sites within 48 hours as part of a nationwide crackdown against unregulated trading activities citing serious public health, security and economic concerns.

Local Government and Public Works Minister, Daniel Garwe, announced the drastic move during a press briefing in Harare yesterday evening where he emphasised the need to restore order in cities and towns across the country.

He said Government was seriously concerned about the proliferation of illegal vendors, particularly the rise of night trading, which has created significant health and security challenges.

To address this, Government has directed local authorities to remove vendors from undesignated points within 48 hours.
The operation will be supported by law enforcement agencies, including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other security units, to ensure compliance and maintain order.

“Local authorities must enforce regulations requiring all informal traders to hold valid licenses and operate only in designated areas equipped with adequate sanitary facilities,” said Minister Garwe.

He said Government remains committed to fostering a safe, clean, and orderly environment for all citizens.
Minister Garwe said the mushrooming of unregulated marketplaces disrupts the operations of legal, registered and law-abiding traders, leading to unfair competition and potential financial losses.

He said illegal vending has also been linked to unsanitary conditions as vendors often operate in areas without access to potable water or ablution facilities.

“This has raised the risk of disease outbreaks, including typhoid, dysentery, and cholera. The accumulation of waste from these vendors has rendered some roads, sanitary lanes, and sidewalks impassable, exacerbating public health risks,” said Minister Garwe.

He said the situation has been further complicated by vendors blocking drainage systems with their wares, leading to flooding during the rainy season.

“When it rains, our roads become flooded because the drains are blocked. This is creating serious problems for our infrastructure,” said Minister Garwe.
He said in addition to health concerns, illegal vending has become a haven for criminal activities such as theft, robbery and drug dealing.

“The lack of regulation and oversight in these areas allow criminal elements to exploit the situation, destabilising communities and eroding public trust in law enforcement agencies,” said Cde Garwe.

Illegal night vending has become a headache for major cities including Bulawayo and Harare where some traders now sleep on pavements in the city centre for several days.

In Bulawayo, vendors, some travelling from as far as Manicaland, swarm the pavements at night to display an array of goods and products, creating challenges in managing traffic flow and maintaining order.
Ward 1 councillor Cde Josiah Mutangi said BCC is working on addressing the situation as there are plans on containing the situation through conducting night operations.

“We will soon launch night operations to cleanse the city. We are at an advanced stage and are completing negotiations with police to conduct arrests. As of now, we have launched a programme to clean the CBD during the night,” said Cllr Mutangi.

The situation is worsened by the fact that municipal police officers do not work at night and vendors take advantage to engage in illegal activities such as selling in undesignated areas that include pavements and streets corners.

“It gets chaotic and it’s hard to navigate through the pavements. Not only is this, but it is turning the city into a haven for crime. These vendors are making fires on pavements at night and some are even daring as they are taking open baths in the CBD.

“Recently we received complaints of people engaging in sexual activities in the street corners and which is unacceptable. Most of these people come from other provinces and are causing all this chaos and mayhem,” Cllr Mutangi said.
Residents have also voiced concerns that the CBD has effectively transformed into an intercity-vending and transit hub.

“I come here almost every month and spend at least three to four days in Bulawayo. It is hard work, because I have to make ends meet for my family. I have no place to stay when I am here, so I have to make sure that my wares are sold, sometimes I sleep on the pavement because I cannot afford to book myself into a lodge,” said Mr Tatenda Murefu, who is from Harare.

Some of the people travel to Victoria Falls via Bulawayo en route to Zambia to buy second hand clothes and banned beauty products.

The volume of travellers making their way to Binga and Victoria Falls has increased forcing long distance bus operators to double the number of buses plying the route.

“Vendors come to Bulawayo strictly to connect to Binga to buy their staff for resale back in Harare. When they fail to get a bus that travels overnight to Binga they sleep on the pavements since the majority of them do not have relatives in Bulawayo,” said a bus conductor who identified himself as Luke.

A majority of vendors sleep on pavements in the market place and outside supermarkets such as the one along Jason Moyo between Sixth Avenue and Leopold Takawira Avenue.