All hell broke loose at Copacabana rank in the Central Business District (CBD) of Harare as vendors’ defied orders by the Harare municipal police to be relocated.

A female vendor who spoke on conditions of anonymity said they were dismayed when they pitched for work in the morning, only to discover their tents had been removed.

“We were told to relocate to a vending site near Boomerang but we resisted the move because this place is currently occupied by other vendors who are selling fruits, our question is why they chose to remove us and not others”, she queried.

The vendors in question who are operating at Copacabana near Cleveland house are said to be linked to Mudzengerere who is the leader of Grassroots Empowerment a bona-fide Zanu-PF youth group.

The vendors shared the same sentiments saying they were going to resist the move by council unless all vendors are relocated adding that the first lady Grace Mugabe had instructed vendors to remain at their current vending sites.

Another vendor also said the move by council was not welcome as some of the places like coca-cola where not developed with no ablution facilities and clean running water.

“The health facilities here are better because we use toilets at Copacabana and sometimes at Joina City, we are not going anywhere, and we paid our $4 for registration which was even 100% higher in comparison to the $2 proposed by government.

There are no customers at Coca-cola, if they want to kill us they should because it is better to be killed municipal police unlike loan sharks who would have learnt us money”, the vendors argued.

Mr Michael Chideme said vendors are going to be relocated to their proposed vending sites.
National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) Director Mr Samuuel Wadzai was not available for comment as his mobile phone went unreachable.

By Staff Reporter