Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe made the announcement during a strategic engagement with Harare City Councillors and municipal officials on Monday. He emphasised that informal trade has severely undermined the viability of formal businesses in Harare's central business district.
'The proliferation of street and night vending has destroyed the viability of formal businesses in our city,' Minister Garwe stated.
'The government has therefore moved to ban the importation and sale of second-hand clothes, as well as all forms of street vending.'
According to Garwe, informal trading spaces have not only disrupted regulated commerce but have also become hotspots for illicit drug activities and other underground dealings, posing threats to public health and national security.
To ensure effective enforcement, the Minister urged Harare City Council to collaborate closely with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). He also called for a humane and community-sensitive approach when implementing the new directive, referencing past incidents in which vendors were mistreated during clean-up campaigns.
'Enforcement should not be about being tough or brutal,' he said. 'Let us engage with vendor associations and educate the public while upholding law and order.'
In addition to the crackdown on informal trading, Garwe pressed city authorities to urgently address Harare's worsening traffic congestion, which he described as 'unacceptable.'
He encouraged the reinforcement of municipal by-laws to improve the capital's overall functionality and flow.
'Restoring order in our city is not optional,' he added. 'We must act now to preserve the integrity of formal businesses and the safety of our communities.'
The ban is expected to impact thousands who rely on vending for their livelihoods.
Rania Umutoni
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/zimbabwe-bans-second-hand-clothes-and-night-vending
