At least 26 illegal vendors were arrested yesterday for stoning Harare municipal police officers who were dismantling an illegal vendors’ tent along Speke Avenue.
Out of the 26, 23 were fined $25 each for “conduct likely to cause breach of peace”, while three remained in custody after they were charged with assault at Harare Central Police Station.
Police at the station denied that the vendors were detained there, but their lawyer Mr Kudzai Kadzere of Kadzere, Hungwe and Mandevere Legal Practitioners confirmed the arrests.
Harare acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Simon Chazovachiyi dismissed rumours that two of the vendors died at the police station after being beaten by municipal police.
He said police had not arrested any vendors and that it was possible that municipal police had arrested them and taken them to Harare Central for administrative purposes.
But Mr Kadzere said he visited Harare Central Police station to assist the vendors.
“Some of my clients have just been released after paying fines, but three of them are still in custody after they were charged with assault,” he said.
Municipal police had to use batons to keep the illegal vendors at bay.
The tent had been erected by the pro-MDC-T National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) which is led by the opposition party’s parliamentary aspirant Mr Stan Zvorwadza.
The union is on record urging vendors to defy the Government directive to leave the streets and occupy designated sites.
NAVUZ director Mr Samuel Wadzai confirmed that 26 illegal vendors were arrested over the skirmishes.
“Six of them were injured, one is serious, I think he was hit by a blunt object. We have since engaged lawyers to handle the case. We want to make it clear that we do not condone the use of force by authorities. We should begin dialogue.”
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Asked how NAVUZ members got injured when they were not being violent, Mr Wadzai claimed that they were attacked while fleeing but pictures tell a different story.
Harare City Council principal communications officer Mr Michael Chideme said there was no going back on the relocations.
“We are not going backwards. We are happy with the progress we are making. So far, there are some organisations which are willing to comply like Queen of Grace who are actually pushing us to provide the necessary infrastructure so that they can move to the sites identified by council.
“There were skirmishes in the morning caused by people who are refusing to adhere to the city by-laws. Our municipal police were being stoned by the illegal vendors. We would like to warn such people that the law will catch up with them.”
Queen of Grace Zim-Asset Trust national secretary-general Mr Ephraim Chizola is on record saying he was approached by an American Embassy official who wanted to fund vendors to resist relocation.
“The chaos was caused by MDC-T activists who have infiltrated vendors,” he said.
“This started two weeks ago when a man sent from the American Embassy named Ricky came to me promising us funding in order to resist the Government directive.
“Why would the Americans want to fund me, I am only a vendor? We have seen that some activists have invaded our space along Speke Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way. They are the ones who are singing and raising banners with political messages like ‘See you in 2018’. Why would vendors be interested in politics?” he asked.
Mr Chizola said his organisation and its members were committed to complying with the Government directive to move to 15 designated sites.
He said the city had not provided infrastructure at the sites and they were also allocated space in a car park at Simon Vengai Muzenda Street (formerly Fourth Street) where motorists were refusing to move because they had paid for the parking space till the end of this month.
When conducted for comment on the funding allegations, an official at the US Embassy said they did not have a worker by the name Ricky.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere told ZBC News that Government will not be blackmailed into shelving the vendors’ relocation programme by opposition politicians.
This followed some placards being displayed by vendors warning that they will not vote Zanu-PF in the 2018 harmonised elections.
Meanwhile, the Harare Informal Traders Council said it supports the Government’s decision to relocate vendors, saying it will hold a meeting next week of vendors, the corporate sector and the banking sector.
The association’s projects and planning officer, Mrs Agnes Gwanzura, said the meeting would come up with a lasting solution to the vendor problem.
“We will engage companies and banks because they are affected by the vendors,” she said. “Some of the companies are the ones who engage the vendors to sell their products.
“We want to identify buildings where we can accomodate vendors and with funding from banks and the corporate sector we can achieve this goal.”
Out of the 26, 23 were fined $25 each for “conduct likely to cause breach of peace”, while three remained in custody after they were charged with assault at Harare Central Police Station.
Police at the station denied that the vendors were detained there, but their lawyer Mr Kudzai Kadzere of Kadzere, Hungwe and Mandevere Legal Practitioners confirmed the arrests.
Harare acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Simon Chazovachiyi dismissed rumours that two of the vendors died at the police station after being beaten by municipal police.
He said police had not arrested any vendors and that it was possible that municipal police had arrested them and taken them to Harare Central for administrative purposes.
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| At least 26 illegal vendors arrested for stoning Harare municipal police officers. |
“Some of my clients have just been released after paying fines, but three of them are still in custody after they were charged with assault,” he said.
Municipal police had to use batons to keep the illegal vendors at bay.
The tent had been erected by the pro-MDC-T National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) which is led by the opposition party’s parliamentary aspirant Mr Stan Zvorwadza.
The union is on record urging vendors to defy the Government directive to leave the streets and occupy designated sites.
NAVUZ director Mr Samuel Wadzai confirmed that 26 illegal vendors were arrested over the skirmishes.
“Six of them were injured, one is serious, I think he was hit by a blunt object. We have since engaged lawyers to handle the case. We want to make it clear that we do not condone the use of force by authorities. We should begin dialogue.”
See Comment on Page 7
Asked how NAVUZ members got injured when they were not being violent, Mr Wadzai claimed that they were attacked while fleeing but pictures tell a different story.
Harare City Council principal communications officer Mr Michael Chideme said there was no going back on the relocations.
“We are not going backwards. We are happy with the progress we are making. So far, there are some organisations which are willing to comply like Queen of Grace who are actually pushing us to provide the necessary infrastructure so that they can move to the sites identified by council.
“There were skirmishes in the morning caused by people who are refusing to adhere to the city by-laws. Our municipal police were being stoned by the illegal vendors. We would like to warn such people that the law will catch up with them.”
Queen of Grace Zim-Asset Trust national secretary-general Mr Ephraim Chizola is on record saying he was approached by an American Embassy official who wanted to fund vendors to resist relocation.
“The chaos was caused by MDC-T activists who have infiltrated vendors,” he said.
“This started two weeks ago when a man sent from the American Embassy named Ricky came to me promising us funding in order to resist the Government directive.
“Why would the Americans want to fund me, I am only a vendor? We have seen that some activists have invaded our space along Speke Avenue and Julius Nyerere Way. They are the ones who are singing and raising banners with political messages like ‘See you in 2018’. Why would vendors be interested in politics?” he asked.
Mr Chizola said his organisation and its members were committed to complying with the Government directive to move to 15 designated sites.
He said the city had not provided infrastructure at the sites and they were also allocated space in a car park at Simon Vengai Muzenda Street (formerly Fourth Street) where motorists were refusing to move because they had paid for the parking space till the end of this month.
When conducted for comment on the funding allegations, an official at the US Embassy said they did not have a worker by the name Ricky.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere told ZBC News that Government will not be blackmailed into shelving the vendors’ relocation programme by opposition politicians.
 |
| At least 26 illegal vendors arrested for stoning Harare municipal police officers. |
Meanwhile, the Harare Informal Traders Council said it supports the Government’s decision to relocate vendors, saying it will hold a meeting next week of vendors, the corporate sector and the banking sector.
The association’s projects and planning officer, Mrs Agnes Gwanzura, said the meeting would come up with a lasting solution to the vendor problem.
“We will engage companies and banks because they are affected by the vendors,” she said. “Some of the companies are the ones who engage the vendors to sell their products.
“We want to identify buildings where we can accomodate vendors and with funding from banks and the corporate sector we can achieve this goal.”
