Zimbabwe Cabinet Backs Harare Clean-Up, Declares 60-Day Program

CABINET has backed the Local Government Ministry's Operation Chenesa Harare, which seeks to flush out all illegal vendors from the capital's business centres and Central Business District (CBD). The campaign which was launched by Local Government minister Daniel Garwe, is being implemented by the Harare City Council. Newlands, Belvedere and Belgravia are some of the areas that have been targeted. Very little has changed in the CBD where almost every pavement has been taken over by vendors selling different wares or produce to make a living. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines "Cabinet approved the Proposed Measures to Address Informal Vending and Associated Activities in the Harare Central Business District, which were presented by the Minister of Transport Felix Tapiwa Mhona as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Utilities and Infrastructural Development," reads the Cabinet brief. "The measures, which focus on illegal vending, will restore order, safeguard public health, formalise livelihoods and improve the overall functionality of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital city. "Highlights of the measures include a coordinated approach that balances enforcement with the provision of lawful decent trading alternatives. "A 60-Day One-Stop Formalisation Drive will be launched in liaison with the City of Harare and all the relevant stakeholders, while a Harare Vendors Council is established for co-management of sites and dispute resolution, and formalised vendors will be linked to financial institutions for working capital." Stalls built for vendors have been dismissed as being either too expensive or far from the market. Garwe has been castigated for encouraging vending ahead of the 2023 campaign, before passing of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 and then taking an abrupt U-turn by accusing vendors of disorder and putting lives at risk. Some vendors have however declared that they will not leave, as their only source of livelihood is vending. Between 70% and 85% of jobs in Zimbabwe are informal according to both ZimStat and International Labour Organisation (ILO). This is not the first time government and Harare City Council have tried to flush out vendors from Harare and other cities, they coordinated an unsuccessful campaign in 2024, 2019, 2016 and 2006. Read the original article on New Zimbabwe . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.