Harare Vendors Persist Amid Economic Hardships Despite Eviction Orders

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Informal vendors in Harare continued their trade unabated on Friday, defying a renewed crackdown announced by city authorities and the government. Areas such as Copa Cabana, Julius Nyerere-Nelson Mandela intersection, and Simon Muzenda bus rank remained bustling with traders selling food, second-hand clothing, and electronics, despite calls for their removal.

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume and Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe had earlier labelled street vending a “nuisance,” citing concerns over crime, drug abuse, and sanitation. However, vendors dismissed the threats, with one trader at Copa Cabana stating:

“Council officers raid us, take bribes, and leave. We’ll keep working until the economy improves.”

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The defiance highlights Zimbabwe’s deepening economic crisis, where formal unemployment has pushed even educated citizens into informal trade. Foreign nationals, particularly from conflict-affected regions like Mozambique, have also joined the sector, selling cigarettes and sweets. City Health Director Prosper Chonzi acknowledged the challenge, stating:

“The economy is against us. We’ve lost this battle—vendors are here out of necessity, not choice.”

Past heavy-handed operations, such as the 2000s Operation Murambatsvina, which destroyed informal settlements, loom in public memory. The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission has urged restraint, emphasising that punitive measures ignore systemic economic failures.

By Friday evening, no joint police-council operations had materialised, leaving vendors to operate freely.

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