Nunurai Jena
Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West – The Chinhoyi Municipality last week carried out a clean-up operation in the Central Business District (CBD) and high-density areas, demolishing vendors’ so-called ‘illegal structures.’
The municipal police are now conducting a mop-up exercise, as some vendors continue to resist the crackdown and are being forced to operate in open spaces.
Vendors have raised concerns over what they describe as selective enforcement, alleging that structures on properties owned by high-ranking political figures and members of the Indian community have been spared.
They claim this is due to bribes being paid to council officials.
The demolitions have left hundreds of vendors without livelihoods, plunging many into despair.
Agnes Zarimba, a food vendor, was left in tears after her ‘street kitchen’, which she had operated for five years, was destroyed by a council bulldozer.
Zarimba was unable to salvage anything, as vendors were not given sufficient time to remove their belongings.
“The municipal police are heartless. They destroyed all my business tools, and even the metal sheets could not be saved,” Zarimba lamented.
Benard Munondo, who ran an ‘illegal grocery shop’, was among those whose goods were destroyed as the council dismantled vending structures.
Munondo, a former employee of the Cold Storage Commission (CSC) in Chinhoyi, was left speechless by the ordeal.
“They have struck me where it hurts most. After years of struggle following my retrenchment without benefits from CSC, this is too much to bear,” he said.
Chinhoyi Council spokesperson Tichaona Mlauzi, in an interview with NewsHub insisted that the council’s actions were aimed at formalising vending operations within its jurisdiction.
“Council is not destroying we are helping vendors to remove illegal structures as we endeavor to formalise vendors operations within council area of jurisdiction” said Mlauzi
Regarding allegations of bribery involving council officials, Mlauzi urged the public to report such cases to the police.
“We try to do our work without fear or favour but those who think otherwise are free to report such cases of corruption to the police. Vendors should not be accomplices in bribery cases “ warned Mlauzi
Investigations by this publication revealed that certain properties, such as the Latif & Partners Magaba complex owned by members of the Indian community, were spared during the demolitions.
It is alleged that top council officials were bribed to overlook these structures. Similarly, properties belonging to high-ranking political figures in high-density and CBD areas were also left untouched.
Mlauzi defended the council’s approach, stating that the demolitions were being carried out in phases.
He warned that those operating illegally on private premises would not be spared in the next phase of the operation.
We are putting order in phases at the moment we are dealing with those operations from the streets and the next phase will target those within premises owned by individuals. No one will be spared,” Mlauzi asserted.
Moses Chenai, chairperson of the Chinhoyi Vendors Association, accused the council of selectively enforcing by-laws, alleging that politicians and members of the Indian community were being given preferential treatment.
Chenai stated that the association would soon convene a meeting to determine its next course of action, hinting that demonstrations could not be ruled out.
Last year, the World Food Programme (WFP) attempted to alleviate the situation by constructing a market shed with approximately 250 vending stalls.
However, the initiative failed to gain traction, as the shed was built far from the CBD, where most business is conducted, rendering it largely unused.
The ongoing demolitions have sparked widespread discontent among vendors, who feel unfairly targeted and left without viable alternatives to sustain their livelihoods.