Soldiers attacking street vendors in Harare

By Tererai Karimakwenda
16 July, 2007

Residents in Harare’s high-density suburbs, including Mufakose, Budiriro, Kuwadzana, have reported that soldiers are attacking street vendors and confiscating their goods as they flee for safety. Reports say the uniformed units do not announce themselves. Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said they arrive suddenly and start assaulting the street and market vendors without showing any identification. This is clearly linked to the ongoing price reduction campaign by government.

According to Muchemwa the soldiers told vendors that they must reduce their prices if they want to continue selling on the street. But the prices they are insisting on are so low that it makes no sense for anyone to comply. Muchemwa gave the example of a 1kg bar of soap which street vendors were selling for Z$280,000. The soldiers told them to reduce the price to as low as Z$50,000. The gazetted price in the shops is Z$134,000.

Muchemwa said the vendors say this is a government ploy to wipe out the informal market and force people to buy from government sanctioned vendors only.

Last week government announced new regulations requiring cross border traders to apply for licenses in order to import grocery items. As of August 1st, cross border traders will need a license to bring in certain amounts of grocery items from neighbouring countries. Although there is an allowance for personal use, traders fear police and price monitoring teams will confiscate their goods the way they have looted the shops, taking advantage of their powerful position.