Harare City Council on Thursday announced that it is going to register all vendors and Kombi operators doing business in the central business district (CBD).

The City is arguing that these moves will solve the problems of vendors and kombi owners who are allegedly causing chaos in the  CBD by operating from  undesignated places

Speaking at a press briefing Harare City Council Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi said beginning today all vendors and kombis are to register with the council within the next 30 days.

Those who do not register within that given period will be deemed unlicensed.

“After 30 days we hope to have registered all vendors and kombi operators.

“Those who are not registered cannot do business in Harare,” he said.

The City claims the  move is aimed at restoring the sunshine city status of Harare.

“Each person will be allowed a one spot in the CBD to avoid issues of subletting, racketeering and profiteering,” said Mahachi.

The Harare City Council has also imposed that flea market operators will pay US$3 daily for trading space.

Fruit, vegetable, airtime, dried foods and newspaper vendors will pay US$1 which the vendors disputed in a clean-up campaign organised by the National Vendors Union Zimbabwe last week.
Greater Harare Association for Commuter Omnibus Chairman, Cosmas Mbonjani said it is incumbent upon them to work with relevant government departments and enforcement agencies as well as city fathers to ensure sanity and order in the city.

Mbonjani however thanked the City of Harare for the holding bay because it has brought sanity at the Coppa Cabana Rank and allowing Mt Pleasant and Darwendale Kombis to operate from the CBD.

Alexio Mudzengerere National Chairman for Grassroots Flea Market and Vendors Trust liked the City of Harare’s initiatives in their efforts to bring sanity and thanked them for the new trading places they are designating.