HARARE-(MaraviPost)-The City of Harare began a major crackdown on street vendors in the Central Business District on Wednesday, deploying about 300 municipal police officers following the expiry of a 7-day government ultimatum.
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says the number of deployed officers could be increased should the situation requires, adding that it is a peaceful operation aimed at “restoring order” in the CBD.
“This is a peaceful operation. We are stressing the need for vendors to operate in an orderly manner, at designated places to free the space for vehicles and pedestrians so that the city is able to breath in terms of navigability as well as the ease of doing business,” he told local daily.
Asked about the adequacy and the state of available designated vending markets, Mafume said:
“We have one of the best vending markets in Africa if not in the world located in Mbare. With good toilets, good ventilation, best basement however, vendors prefer to sell outside.”
Apparently, like before, teams of law enforcement agency and municipal police will be dismantling unauthorized stalls and structures, clearing informal trading sites, and confiscating vendors’ goods for lawful disposal.
Last week, the government ordered all illegal vendors and informal traders to vacate undesignated sites by Tuesday, September 9, 2026, but most of them did not move saying said they have no other way to earn a living.
The standoff is not new. In previous years, eviction drives have led to running battles as vendors and police played a cycle of cat-and-mouse across the city.
Meanwhile, the latest directive drew immediate criticism from some sections of the society and labor groups.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, (ZCTU), urged the government to address the country’s economic crisis before forcing jobless vendors off the streets.
“Removing vendors without tackling unemployment and the lack of formal jobs will only deepen hardship for ordinary Zimbabweans,” the ZCTU said.
For years, Harare’s city center has struggled under the weight of informal trade. What was once a thriving commercial hub has become a maze of temporary stalls, blocked pavements, and streets littered with waste.
Key public spaces — sidewalks, bus terminals and intersections — have been taken over by traders operating in the open. For commuters, residents and formal businesses, navigating the capital has grown increasingly difficult.
The city council has carried out repeated eviction campaigns and made repeated promises. Vendors always return, saying there are no viable alternatives.
The situation has deteriorated further. Bus termini are now being used as shelters by street children and homeless adults, raising serious public health and safety concerns.
Parallel to the crisis, a shadow economy has emerged. Groups known locally as “space barons” now control prime vending spots. They allegedly charge traders between US$1 and US$5 per day to operate on public pavements.
The networks operate with little fear, and reports suggest some are politically connected. Vendors who refuse to pay say they face intimidation and harassment. There are also allegations that some municipal officials work with the syndicates to avoid detection.
According to the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) the problem is entrenched in suburbs like Mbare, where traders pay fees to shadowy groups that do not remit money to the city.
“In the City of Harare, municipal police officers work closely with these vigilante groups, exploiting vendors for personal benefit with political impunity,” the HRT said. “No one dares touch the people behind the setting up of vending stalls in Mbare and the CBD. Some council officials actually thrive from the tears and sweat of vendors.”
The residents’ grouping argues that reform should start in Mbare, not with it calls “sideshows.” HRT also questions revenue leaks at markets like Mupedzanhamo Flea Market, where traders pay for storage on council property but the council reportedly receives nothing.
“In fact, Harare City Council could modernize its vending markets with funds generated from vendors and existing trading places like Mupedzanhamo, Siya So, Magaba, and Mbare Market alone,” HRT added. “The force behind the vigilante groups is responsible for the chaos in the informal sector.”
Last week, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe intervened, issuing a 7-day ultimatum and ordering all vendors at unauthorized sites to leave immediately.
“The current state of disorderliness on the streets is intolerable,” Minister Garwe said.
“The conduct of illegal vendors has become a threat to the health and security of our nation, creating a haven for drug and substance abuse, among other ills.”
Past attempts to clear vendors have often failed and sometimes turned violent. In October 2024, the city council suspended a relocation exercise after rival trader groups clashed at Copacabana.
The pattern is familiar: crackdowns, brief departures, then a quiet return to prime locations once enforcement teams withdraw.
Leave a Reply