THE government has given illegal vendors operating in Harare and other urban areas until next Wednesday to vacate unauthorized trading sites ahead of a nationwide cleanup operation.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the government had issued a “stern and final warning” to vendors operating outside areas authorized by local authorities.
The ministry said the proliferation of illegal vending and informal trading in undesignated areas had compromised sanitation, blocked public pathways, disrupted formal businesses and created congestion, raising public safety and health concerns.
“Starting Wednesday September 9, 2026, the ministry and other government agencies will launch a comprehensive cleanup operation targeting illegal vending sites across Harare and the broader Harare Metropolitan Province,” Garwe said.
All illegal vending structures, stalls and sites will be dismantled during the operation, while municipal police will be deployed to prevent cleared areas from being reoccupied.
The government said the exercise would subsequently be extended to other cities, towns and urban settlements nationwide in a bid to restore public order, cleanliness and trafficability in line with National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030.
Garwe said informal trading remained a recognized livelihood activity, but emphasized that it must be conducted within municipal by-laws and at legally designated marketplaces. Vendors have been urged to use the grace period to relocate to designated vending markets to avoid losing their merchandise.
Local authorities have also been directed to facilitate the immediate registration and orderly placement of compliant traders into designated structures.
The government added that it expects citizens and stakeholders to cooperate with law enforcement agencies during the cleanup operation.
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