One of the organizations representing vendors, Queen of Grace Zimasset Trust, says it will start relocating vendors Tuesday to designated vending sites although some of the traders have vowed to resist the move.
Queen of Grace Zimasset Trust chief executive officer, Ephraim Chizola, told journalists in Harare on Monday that the vendors will be relocated to the western end of the city at Corner Samora Machel Avenue and Chinhoyi Street.
Chizola said his organization has also set up a revolving fund that will assist vendors to get loans to finance their businesses.
But Samuel Wadzai, director of the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe told Studio 7 all members of his organization should resist this move.
He said proper vending sites should be set up first in line with a High Court order, which compelled the government and local authorities to set up vending structures before state security agents remove them from the streets.
One of the affected vendors, Gamuchirai Kwirihwiri, said she will not heed the Queen of Grace Zimasset Trust’s call as they are paying vending fees to council.
These sentiments were also echoed by another vendor, Kudzanai Chivizhe, who said removing street vendors without adequate planning was tantamount to destroying their source of income.
Another vendor, Denford Ngadziore, warned of bloodshed if the attempt to relocate them without their consent goes ahead.
Harare City Council spokesperson, Michael Chideme, told Studio 7 that council would erect structures suitable for vending at the designated vending points in line with the court order, adding that these would be completed before the June 29th deadline set by government for all vendors to have vacated their illegal vending sites.
