Published by the government of Zimbabwe
23 May 2005
editorial
Harare — THE two-pronged approach by the Harare City Council and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, dubbed Operation Murambatsvina and Operation Restore Order, were long overdue, and the delay accounts for the current state of decay in many parts of Harare.
The two operations that were launched to clean the city of both illegal structures and vice are bound to restore the sunshine to our once immaculate city.
The illegal structures being destroyed under Operation Murambatsvina, housed perpetrators of illegal activities being targeted by Operation Restore Order; thus, the operations will rid the city of both physical decay and moral decadence.
Illegal structures had also become havens for thieves, illegal immigrants, illegal foreign currency dealers, traffickers in hard drugs, brothels for prostitution and, indeed, all other vices that define the underworld in Western cities and many parts of West Africa.
What had become deplorable is the fact that some of the traders had even taken control of whole pavements, and any pedestrian who happened to step on their wares was faced with the full wrath of the "owner".
More so, the illegal structures were simply reducing the aesthetic value of the city with no benefit at all accruing to the local authority, as the authority was neither collecting rentals for the structures nor levies from the proprietors.
The rampant illegal dealings had also become detrimental to the economic turnaround efforts currently underway.
Whilst it is true that a lot of families have been prejudiced of income by the ongoing blitz; we feel it's better the family than the nation as we should never compromise the national interest on the altar of economic expediency.
We call upon the concerned authorities to expeditiously vet all affected parties and let licenced individuals return to designated stalls and buildings as long as they are engaged in legitimate business dealings.
There will be need for constant monitoring of the informal sector to make sure that its activities complement rather than detract from the national interest.
We also applaud the decision to restrict commuter omnibus operators to designated termini outside the central business district (CBD), as they had become a law unto themselves, wilfully flouting traffic regulations.
While the touts harassed and beat up innocent commuters, many roads had also become impassable after they were turned into illegal ranks, again at no benefit to the cash-strapped local authority.
A lot of accidents in the CBD were being caused by some reckless commuter drivers.
We call upon the police and the city council to remain vigilant and steadfast to ensure that the clean-up yields permanent results.
It would be a waste of time to cause some noise now and slacken up in a few weeks' time and allow the disorder to creep back.
There is also need to find a permanent solution to the problem of street kids and street people, for it is a truism that a street has no child and no man is an island.
These people came from somewhere and should go back whence they came.
Genuine destitutes do not run away from institutions like what some of these people always did whenever they were rounded up in the past.
The Zambian capital, Lusaka, once gained the unenviable reputation of Southern Africa's dirtiest city before the Zambian authorities decided to rid the city of that negative and pejorative label.
Today, Lusaka is slowly gaining respectability - and the people who initially questioned the clean-up actions are enjoying and appreciating the results.
We should never allow ourselves to do the converse.
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