THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has implored the government to desist from targeting struggling vendors and instead direct such efforts to fixing the ailing economy.
On Wednesday, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe ordered a ban on all vending activities across local authorities in what he described as a bid to contain waste management and illicit activities such as drug dealing.
But in a statement, Thursday, the ZCTU Acting Secretary General, Runesu Dzimiri, said Garwe's 48 hour ultimatum is a completely "heavy -handed, insensitive and reactionary" response.
He said the government should bear in mind that citizens were pushed onto the streets due to a broken economy.
"We reiterate that people who are into street vending are not into it for their liking but are being forced due to the unemployment levels largely blamed on bad economic policies. Instead of harassing vendors, the government must first of all restore economic growth and create the promised millions of jobs and by doing so, all vendors will vanish overnight," he said.
Dzimiri begged the government and councils to accept that the informal economy has become the biggest employer in the country and, therefore it needs to be carefully treated.
He said the ILO acknowledged the importance of the informal economy, and this year's 113th Session of the International Labour Conference will have a discussion on innovative approaches to tackling informality and promoting transitions towards formality in order to promote decent work.
"What is more hypocritical for the government is that it has been encouraging people to go into self-help projects and declaring them as an eyesore now is extremely insensitive. In fact, most of the vendors are mere workers of chefs and street barons who give them wages to sell in the streets. There is also a possibility that the government is acting to appease businesses that have been losing profits to vendors," Dzimiri said.
The ZCTU added that local authorities and the central government must provide alternative places of trading where there is decency instead of reactionary policies that are inconsiderate.
