Police in Chiredzi and vendors fought running battles on Tuesday resulting in more than 80 young vendors being detained for selling their wares on undesignated places.

The police apprehended the vendors under an operation designed to clean up the city of vendors most of whom have clogged the city’s pavements and walkways.

Youth Forum Chiredzi District Chairperson Marko Shoko accused the government of turning a blind eye to the plight of youths through taxing them beyond their ability to pay.

He said most young people have turned to vending due to the high levels of unemployment in the country.

Shoko said following the arrest of the young vendors they engaged the municipal authority to intervene after all the arrested vendors refused to pay the fines arguing that they have been paying fees to the local authorities.

“The vendors refused to pay the fine because most of them have been paying their licences fees to the municipality regularly” Shoko said.

The vendors were later released without any charges.
Vending has been the only alternative for Zimbabweans particularly the young people of Zimbabwe since companies are closing in day in day out, as the country suffers scourging unemployment.

Lately in Masvingo a four-month-old child was killed in skirmishes between the municipal police and vendors.

Youth Forum is currently running a Jobs in our Life time national campaign under the theme “From concern to Action” to amplify the voices of young people who are out of employment so that government takes action to address the problem.

Prior to the 2013 plebiscite ZANU PF promised 2,2 million jobs but up to now nothing has materialized and most young people are now frustrated about that issue of unemployment to the extend that young people from the opposition have staged some peaceful demonstrations and the marches were thwarted by the police