Harare council demolishes new vending stalls

By Tererai Karimakwenda
11 May 2006

In a move that further shows the lack of vision and planning by the illegal Commission running Harare, the new vending stalls built to accommodate vendors and bring order to the informal sector were demolished last week. Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa reports that the council had built 50-100 vending stalls at several locations around the capital some months before Operation Murambatsvina. They were meant to be rented to vendors after the demolitions last year that left hundreds of thousands of flea market traders without a place to do business. Muchemwa says the stalls were never used and the Commission running Harare has lost millions of dollars in rental fees.

Muchemwa said some of the markets destroyed were located at 4th Street and at Market Square. He said each market had about 50 to 100 stalls. Each stall had a concrete or brick table for selling wares, and storage space for locking up products at night. Muchemwa said no vetting of vendors was ever done and no reason has been given for the demolitions. Many informal traders are now working from their places of residence if there is space. And those selling tomatoes and vegetables are playing cat and mouse games with the police. Muchemwa reports that some clothes manufacturers have cleverly formed cooperatives and are renovating empty buildings. He said there is not enough space to accommodate all the vendors who were once a part of Harare’s long-established flea markets.

Meanwhile civic organizations in the country are organizing events to commemorate the 2005 demolitions that have been condemned by The United Nations, The African Commission and many other human rights groups around the world. The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO)said civic society activists and journalists will tour city suburbs to assess the plight of displaced people a year after the so-called cleanup exercise Murambatsvina.

Residents say the lack of planning and vision have characterised the illegal administration of Sekesai Makwavarara ever since she was appointed by local government minister Ignatius Chombo. Service delivery has been at its worst under the Commission.