Obert Gutu from the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission asked officials to be gentle with street sellers. The government wants them out of Zimbabwe's cities fast. These vendors make downtown areas look messy, but Gutu points out that these people lack better choices. He posted online that nobody sells stuff late at night downtown unless they need money badly.
Gutu asked the people in charge to skip harsh methods when clearing the streets. He compared using tough tactics to smashing a fly with a hammer - it's just way overboard. He believes officials should show some heart because these street sellers face real hardships. The government minister, Daniel Garwe, sees things differently, blaming vendors for making cities dirty and creating places where crime happens.
Garwe told city officials they had just 48 hours to kick out all sellers from unofficial spots. Zimbabwe faces huge job shortages, and more than half the country lives in poverty. With nowhere else to turn, many citizens—including college graduates—end up selling whatever they can on the streets. Their makeshift shops offer vegetables, used clothes from Europe via Mozambique, cooked chicken feet, cigarettes, and candy.
Gutu explained that most sellers come from younger age groups - recent graduates and young parents without other ways to support themselves. As businesses closed over the years, regular jobs disappeared. People switched to street selling because they had to survive, not because they wanted to break the rules. Earlier attempts to clear vendors from Harare and Bulawayo failed. City managers either gave up or lost against the million-plus street sellers. This latest removal push should have started Wednesday night.
Gutu asked the people in charge to skip harsh methods when clearing the streets. He compared using tough tactics to smashing a fly with a hammer - it's just way overboard. He believes officials should show some heart because these street sellers face real hardships. The government minister, Daniel Garwe, sees things differently, blaming vendors for making cities dirty and creating places where crime happens.
Garwe told city officials they had just 48 hours to kick out all sellers from unofficial spots. Zimbabwe faces huge job shortages, and more than half the country lives in poverty. With nowhere else to turn, many citizens—including college graduates—end up selling whatever they can on the streets. Their makeshift shops offer vegetables, used clothes from Europe via Mozambique, cooked chicken feet, cigarettes, and candy.
Gutu explained that most sellers come from younger age groups - recent graduates and young parents without other ways to support themselves. As businesses closed over the years, regular jobs disappeared. People switched to street selling because they had to survive, not because they wanted to break the rules. Earlier attempts to clear vendors from Harare and Bulawayo failed. City managers either gave up or lost against the million-plus street sellers. This latest removal push should have started Wednesday night.
