Harare deploys 300 police in major vending crackdown

[Yesha]

Harare deploys 300 police in major vending crackdown​

The City of Harare has deployed at least 300 municipal police officers as authorities begin a major crackdown on illegal vending and informal trading in the capital’s Central Business District and other undesignated areas.

The operation, which forms part of the city’s “Chenesa Harare” campaign, comes as a seven-day ultimatum issued by Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe expires on Wednesday, September 9.

Garwe ordered vendors operating from unauthorised sites to relocate to designated markets, warning that government would launch a “comprehensive, zero-tolerance clean-up operation” if they failed to comply.

The minister said illegal vending was contributing to congestion, blocked pedestrian walkways, poor sanitation and disruptions to formal businesses. He also warned of public-health risks, including the potential spread of water-borne diseases in areas without adequate sanitation and access to clean water.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume said the council had increased the number of municipal police officers on the streets and that the deployment could be expanded depending on developments during the operation.

The initial approach was expected to focus on persuading vendors operating from undesignated locations to move voluntarily to approved trading areas.

City authorities say Harare has designated spaces where informal traders can operate without obstructing roads and pavements. These include Mbare Musika, Glen View Area 8 and the developing Chemanza market, which the council says is expected to accommodate more than 4,000 vendors once completed.

However, the crackdown has generated significant concern among vendors, many of whom say street trading is their primary source of income in an economy where formal employment opportunities remain limited.

Some traders have vowed to remain on the streets, arguing that moving to markets away from the CBD could reduce access to customers and threaten their ability to support their families. Vendor representatives have also called for meaningful consultation, viable trading alternatives and protection against harassment or confiscation of goods during enforcement.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has urged government to suspend the crackdown, arguing that removing vendors without addressing the economic conditions that drive informal trading risks worsening poverty.

The controversy highlights the wider challenge facing Zimbabwe's informal economy. ZIMSTAT data cited in recent reports indicates that about 1.36 million people are engaged in informal non-agricultural employment, accounting for approximately 41.3% of total employment.

Government, however, has maintained that the operation is not intended to eliminate informal trading altogether. Garwe has acknowledged informal trading as a legitimate livelihood, but insists that it must take place within municipal by-laws and at legally designated marketplaces.

Authorities have indicated that the Harare operation could eventually be extended to other cities and towns across Zimbabwe as part of a broader effort to restore urban order and support the country's Vision 2030 development targets.

The immediate challenge for Harare will be balancing the government's push for cleaner, less congested streets with the economic realities of thousands of people who depend on informal trading for their livelihoods.