Street vendors in Harare say they won’t leave the streets by 9 September despite a government order, describing the ultimatum as insensitive and out of touch with the harsh economic reality that has forced thousands of Zimbabweans into informal trading.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe issued the seven-day eviction notice on Wednesday, which expires on 9 September 2026.
Government has warned of a “comprehensive, zero-tolerance clean-up operation” targeting illegal vending sites across the capital before extending it nationwide.
For many traders, though, leaving is not an option.
Some vendors said informal trading is their only means of survival in an economy where formal jobs are scarce.
Cephas Muchegwa, who has been vending for the past 10 years, said the directive is “insensitive”.
“The minister is insensitive. Our survival is in the streets. We will not go anywhere. There are no jobs in the industry. We have graduates at home,” he said.
The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation, VISET, said it recognises the government’s responsibility to keep urban areas clean and orderly, but urged authorities to act in line with the National Informal Economy Formalisation Strategy adopted in April 2026.
Executive director Samuel Wadzai said removing vendors without providing viable alternatives would disrupt livelihoods and push already vulnerable workers further into poverty.
He called for meaningful participation by informal traders in decisions around relocation, adequate alternative trading spaces before any displacement, and protection against harassment and confiscation of goods during enforcement.
Harare Residents Trust director Precious Shumba also criticised the approach, describing Garwe’s statement as ill-thought-out and lacking evidence.
“Vending is a symptom of a dysfunctional economy,” Shumba said.
He said many people are on the streets not because they want to be, but because companies have closed and formal employment is scarce, even for university graduates.
Disrupting people’s efforts to survive, he said, amounts to “cruelty of the highest order” and has no place in a democratic society.
More: NewZimbabwe.com
