HUNDREDS of National Vendors’ Union of Zimbabwe (Navuz) members yesterday staged a demonstration at Town House in Harare protesting against continued confiscation of their wares and alleged extortion by municipal police officers.
According to Newsday, the protesters marched to Town House chanting songs denouncing corruption by rogue municipal police officers.
Vendors and municipal police have been playing cat-and-mouse games in the city centre since a government directive last year for informal traders to vacate the CBD and move to designated sites.
The directive has, however, been met with resistance by the vendors, who argue that the designated sites are located far from their markets and lack proper infrastructure such as ablution facilities.
The vendors submitted a petition to the acting mayor, Councillor Wilton Njanjazi, who said he would discuss the issue with his superiors so action is taken to address the vendors’ concerns.
As part of their grievances, the vendors demanded that council take necessary measures to ensure that harassment and extortion of the struggling vendors be stopped forthwith.
The vendors also demanded council investigate cases of harassment and extortion and that the local authority should embrace an all-stakeholders approach to the issue of vending.
The vendors threatened that should council fail to take action to address the vendors’ concerns, they would mobilise for more protests
- News Day
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