Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Tshili/Sukulwenkosi Dube- Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
VENDORS have resurfaced at illegal selling points in Bulawayo and Gwanda as they have lost patience with the respective councils they accuse of taking too long to develop their new working areas.

Vendors were displaced at the end of March as municipalities cleaned up the cities and towns as part of measures to fight Covid-19.

Some vendors had turned their houses into selling points but municipal police are constantly raiding them as it is illegal to operate from residential areas.

In Bulawayo, some vendors said the allocated locations were away from their customers.

This has resulted in a resurgence of pavement vendors and pushcart traders.

These appear to work in syndicates and have a way of alerting each other when municipal police approach them.

They quickly disappear from the pavements and council police on patrol rarely catch them.

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) executive director Mr Michael Ndiweni said Bulawayo City Council’s relocated vendors have not all occupied the new identified vending bays.

He said this is mainly because council has not rehabilitated the identified sites.

“This has seen the vendors abandoning the sites mainly because there is no activity in the identified sites. There is no human and vehicular activity so it does not make sense for vendors to remain in the designated vending places.

Some of the new spots do not have water or toilets. In our engagement with the council, they told us that due to inflation they no longer have the resources to fund the planned rehabilitation of the new vending sites,” he said.

Mr Ndiweni said it remains council’s obligation to make sure that the vending sites have water and toilets to prevent the spread of diseases.

Mpilo Central Hospital acting clinical director Dr Xolani Ndlovu said even council by-laws prohibit the operation of vending markets without toilets and water.

“Failure to do so could result in the outbreak of diseases such as dysentery and typhoid which are associated with poor hygiene. That is why council by-laws make it imperative that vending market places should have water and toilets,” said Dr Ndlovu.

He said it was not acceptable for council to relocate vendors to areas that did not meet the minimum health requirements such as water and toilets.

“They were supposed to plan and ensure they build toilets or even hire mobile toilets as a stop gap measure. You cannot sacrifice people’s health for convenience,” he said.

In Gwanda town vendors are also back in the Central Business District but municipal police are constantly raiding them. Those arrested lose their wares and are fined $500.

Most of those that have returned to CBD along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road are selling mostly fruits.

A vendor from the town who only identified herself as MaMoyo who has returned to the streets said business was better in the CBD.

“It’s been seven months waiting to operate from the new vending sites and we cannot wait any longer. I have been selling from my home but business is really low compared to the CBD. I realised some of my fellow vendors were now selling from the CBD and I decided to join them. I only bring a little stock with me so that I’m able to run away with it when the council police come. We have to be alert all the time because they raid any time. It’s really not an ideal manner of operating but there is nothing we can do,” she said.

Another vendor who sells phone accessories, Mr Brian Nyoni said he had waited too long to resume operations and the situation was now frustrating. He said it was better to spend the whole day dodging council officers and go back home with money to buy a few groceries than to sit at home.

The chairperson of Gwanda Urban Chamber of SMEs representing the informal sector, Mr Michael Ndlovu said they had taken the matter into their own hands as they had resorted to mobilise funds as vendors to set up structures to operate from as the municipality had indicated that it did not have funds to develop the area.

He said each vendor had so far contributed US$41 which they used to buy cement and other building material to construct a concrete slab.

“I had a meeting with the council over resuming our operations and they indicated that they didn’t have funds to put up structures. We then came together as 206 vendors that will occupy the vending space which we have been allocated near the railway line and we contributed US$41 each to buy building material. We will get a plan from the municipality on the standard structures that we have to construct,” he said.

Three sites have been identified in the CBD where vendors will operate from. Mr Ndlovu said the other two sites are under the Ministry of SMEs and will accommodate vendors that are registered under the sector.

Gwanda Mayor, Clr Njabulo Siziba said the local authority was facing challenges in developing new areas because it does not have the required resources. He said the situation has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clr Ndlovu said as a result the municipality had engaged the vendors who agreed to contribute towards the development of the new sites.

“I went to check on one of the sites and vendors have started working on the area to construct a concrete slab. Local authorities are facing financial challenges which have been worsened by the pandemic. We are however, not saying that the vendors will bear all the costs but once they are done, they will submit invoices and we will credit their accounts until the money is fully refunded. — @nqotshili/@DubeMatutu