Staff Reporter

Citizens have applauded the Government for bringing sanity to the urban areas by demolishing the illegal shacks along the roads, a process that commenced yesterday.

In varied interviews and social media posts, residents blamed the MDC-Alliance led Harare and Chijtungwiza city councils for failing to provide proper infrastructure for vendors and informal traders which resulted in recent demolitions of shacks on road sides.

Hundreds of informal traders and vendors in Harare and Chitungwiza had their shacks and other illegal structures destroyed by their councils as per Government directive.

Citizens welcomed the move arguing that lawlessness couldn’t be allowed to flourish. They suggested that all small businesses should be properly registered, housed and formalised so that revenue collection becomes easier.

“Who is failing to provide alternative and appropriate work spaces for macro and small businesses in the urban areas? It’s the MDC-Alliance led councils. Lawlessness can’t be allowed to flourish, with anyone pitching tent wherever to do business without paying rentals.

“The council must stop using the term “informal traders,” businesses are either micro or macro. But all must be registered, formalised and work from designated areas. Otherwise chaos will reign supreme like what has happened now. You can’t blame Government for intervening,” tweeted Uyopo Ndlovu.

“The MDC-Alliance led council is only good at criticising and complaining. Whose responsibility is it to build vendors a fresh produce market with storage amenities? Yet on interviews, you got the guts to say you are in charge of urban councils,” posted gushung@21.

Relatedly, citizens have lambasted the MDC-Alliance for blaming ZANU-PF on the on-going demolitions, arguing that ZANU-PF is just a political party and has nothing to do with council affairs and that the opposition led councils have failed to bring sanity to towns and cities they preside over.

In a Press Statement dated 2 June 2021, the MDC-Alliance wrote, “We condemn the anti-poor policies unleashed by ZANU-PF onto the informal sector in Chitungwiza and Mutare. We fully dissociate ourselves from any attempt by Central Government to destroy the livelihoods of vendors and other informal traders.”

Responding to the Press Statement, John Shumbairerwa tweeted, “ZANU-PF from my understanding does not run councils but rather MDC-Alliance. People cannot be allowed to pitch up businesses in undesignated areas, not paying rentals. Following proper channels on establishing one’s business is essential.”

“MDC-Alliance leads the councils and is the one to blame for failing to provide proper infrastructure for the vendors. Lawlessness can’t be allowed to flourish,” posted Candice Mwanawevhu.

“Who is the Mayor of Harare City Council, and where is ZANU-PF coming in now? ZANU-PF is a political party not a council. Moreover why hasn’t the council given the vendors places where they can do vending legally,” he questioned.

Harare City Council recently demolished illegal structures near Mbudzi roundabout along Simon Mazorodze road. Municipal police officers from Harare, Chitungwiza and Ruwa led the demolition while Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) monitored the situation.

The Government had to intervene after the illegal traders continued to mushroom on road sides, causing congestion and danger to road users.