Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Tichaona Zindoga
12 November 2009
opinion
Harare — AN army of Harare Municipal police officers, mainly youths in their 20s, clad either in blue or green overalls inscribed "HM" can be seen strutting up and down the street or hanging around bus terminuses.
Baton sticks hang loosely but "dangerously" from their hands, as anyone who has been at the other end of these weapons can testify.
The youths, whose eyes are always shielded from the pleading and sometimes rancorous eyes of the vendors, by blue sun hats are always in a "no nonsense" mood.
If they are not in their quiet, menacing walk-abouts, they are crammed in a big white council lorry, making known their intention that they might spring upon the "enemy" any time.
That is if they are not being involved in the constant run-ins with traders.
Harare is like a mini war zone.
The city fathers have declared war on all illegal vendors and hawkers.
For the past week there have been gruelling encounters in town and in Mbare where sadly one person has died.
Rogers Rwafa, a trader at Fourth Street Bus terminus who doubles up as a car washer, says he understands that the Municipal Police are "doing their work" but they have lately become "ruthless".
"When they come they beat up traders, and even bystanders, and they confiscate our wares.
"We are just trying to fend for our families, but now we live with this perpetual fear of them. How can poverty end when we are beaten up for trying to raise money for food and to pay school fees for our children?
"Does the City of Harare have any programmes on reduction of poverty?" he asked.
Already, there have been violent clashes between the city authorities and illegal vendors, who sometimes get the sympathy of the general public.
Last week, just days after the city launched its blitz, Municipal Police, vendors and touts fought pitched battles at Fourth Street bus terminus as the latter resisted attempts by the city to rid the streets of illegal activities.
Reinforcements of riot police had to be summoned as vendors, touts and other members of the public almost overran council personnel.
The rioting left innocent passers-by injured and police had to descend on the terminus to shore up the ranks of the apparently overwhelmed council officers.
At one point vendors and touts attempted to barricade some municipal police officers in the public toilet.
Police rescued their municipal colleagues, turned their attention to the angry mob before a lorry full of municipal reinforcements, and riot police won the day for the city.
A number of people were injured in the melee while police arrested a number of touts and vendors.
The vendors accused the municipal police of being heavy-handed and treating them inhumanely.
At the Fourth Street bus terminus municipal police usually round up the illegal dealers and bundle them into the public toilet at the terminus, before force marching them to Harare Central Police Station to pay fines.
On Monday, it was an even horrifying experience in Mbare, where a man was killed in clashes between authorities and the general public.
Godfrey Tonde, a 23-year old trader, died at Shawasha Grounds after he was allegedly floored by one municipal officer who had been chasing him as he fled with his wares.
Reports say that an unidentified municipal officer tripped the unfortunate Tonde from behind and as he staggered, the officer allegedly kicked him on his genitals sending him nose-diving to his death.
The result was what one eyewitness likened to "a war zone...reminiscent of the days of colonial political upheaval."
Irate vendors reacted to Tonde's death by ferrying his body in a push cart and dumping it at the council's Department of Engineering along Remembrance Road while others barricaded the road near the flyover.
Some vendors set alight tyres and cardboard while shouting obscenities against the authorities.
For their part, ZRP officers and municipal police fired teargas and beat up protestors, sending some of them scampering for cover in Mbare Cemetery, and just about everywhere.
Some residents used wet trowels to cover their mouths and noses as they fled the scene, while others frantically used their shirts and blouses to shield themselves from the choking fumes.
Others were not so lucky, and they fainted.
Beauty Maringisi, a housewife who lives at Nenyere Flats, was one such unlucky person.
According to a report carried in H-Metro, she "nearly surrendered her three month-old baby Tapiwanashe for 'safekeeping' after she fell unconscious."
The baby also inhaled teargas in the melee and fell ill.
It was also feared that traders at Mupedzanhamo Flea Market, near where Monday's ugly scenes took place, could have lost substantial amounts of their wares to looters.
While police have arrested three municipal police officers and eight people suspected of inciting violence following the skirmishes in Mbare, Tonde is gone and what remains for his families are just memories of the fateful day.
But if there is one thing that running battles between authorities and illegal traders in the city have shown, it is the stark contrasts of the ideals of the Sunshine City fathers and the everyday way of living of their people.
According to city by-laws it is illegal to sell at undesignated points and all trading activities should benefit the authority by contributing taxes into council coffers.
The revenue is used in various developmental works.
Even with the dark cloud of Tonde's death hanging over Harare, the city council has maintained that it will continue with its clampdown on illegal activity, although the Government has expressed reservations.
"We will hold our ground. We want to enforce our by-laws," was what City of Harare spokesperson Mr Leslie Gwindi said.
But the traders say conditions of the designated vegetable stalls at bus termini that include Charge Office are deplorable.
"Raw sewer water has been flowing out of a toilet next to the vegetable stall at Charge Office for years and customers who fear for their health do not buy.
"All my vegetables will end up rotting if I sell from that market as no one will buy. The place smells and you sometimes see human waste littered on the pavements," said Rosemary Mutimba, a vendor.
She sells tomatoes outside a supermarket along Robert Mugabe Road.
On the other hand, with a swell of unemployment and poverty that has been experienced especially over the past decade, buying and selling has been one of the few ways to eke out a living.
The current liquidity crunch has also forced many people on the streets to get the much needed but elusive cash.
Solomon Patsika, who sells cellphone recharge cards at Eastgate shopping mall, says that while the city authorities could insist oIn vendors using designated places, there were no places for every vendor around.
"They continue to say that we should go to designated areas but there are no adequate places.
"The best way is for the industries to get back on their feet so that people find some employment. As a matter of fact, no-one really loves to spend their time on the streets," he said.
For others like wheelchair-bound Trymore Nyere of Mufakose who sells cellphone recharge cards and cigarettes at the corner of Robert Mugabe and Sam Nujoma Roads, and has not been spared by the blitz, buying and selling on the street is his best hope.
The father of two, who says he makes a profit of about US$7 a day, feels that the latest move by the city is insensitive.
"It is a very bad situation, especially for some of us who are handicapped.
"We cannot even run away so we are always caught and made to pay fines of US$5," he said.
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