Bulawayo City Council let the government's 48-hour ultimatum pass peacefully. Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu said yesterday they want to move vendors first before taking enforcement actions. He mentioned the city already started relocating vendors from self-chosen spots to official vending areas before the government made its demand. They planned to move vendors to places like Bakta's and Egodini.
"We're finishing up the process of moving vendors from 5th Avenue and other town locations to alternative spaces we picked out. This helps everyone switch to legal trading more easily," Ndlovu explained. The council will team up with the Zimbabwe Republic Police for enforcement after completing the relocations. "We'll monitor things around the clock, but need police help since our city officers can't arrest people," he added.
Numbers shared with Sunday News show big problems with vendor compliance. The city has 3,416 vending spots downtown, with 3,279 currently filled. Only 244 vendors have proper licenses to operate legally. Most unlicensed vendors are spread across various city locations, creating major differences between space assignments and actual licenses. The city has 16 vendor areas downtown. The busiest spot sits between Lobengula Street and Herbert Chitepo from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue, with 814 spaces filled but just 12 properly licensed. Highlanders has 749 spots, with 720 assigned and 184 licensed.
At Baktas near 2nd Avenue and Lobengula Street, all 175 spots are assigned, but none have licenses. The same goes for the corner of 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street—all 337 spaces lack proper licenses. Every vendor at Hyper lacks legal permission. At 6th Avenue Extension, only three out of 118 assigned vendors have licenses. Along Lobengula Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, just three out of 121 assigned spots have legal permission.
The Flower Trading Site next to Large City Hall has eight licensed vendors out of 37 assigned spots. At the Fruits and Vegetables area on Robert Mugabe Way and 8th Avenue, only one vendor out of 52 assigned spaces has a license. The Bulawayo Traders and Vendors Association wants talks between the government and vendors. Executive Director Michael Ndiweni stressed the need for discussion to find solutions that benefit everyone involved with city business.
"We back the government plan but emphasize talking first. Connecting with different groups in informal business lets us tackle issues like trash and law-breaking without harsh crackdowns," Ndiweni said. He believes night vending creates good economic chances when managed properly under the law. "We think working together to teach vendors about rules and supporting active business even at night could bring more money for everyone," he explained.
Bulawayo United Residents Association chair Winos Dube praised the government's actions as necessary. He pointed out the urgent need to clean up and organize the city after messy vendor activities. "We hope this ultimatum becomes real action to create a better organized and cleaner city," said Dube. The city council keeps looking for balanced answers that help vendors but also protect the broader community.
The government, through Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, issued a two-day ultimatum last Wednesday about night vending. Officials argue that unregulated street selling downtown causes more foot traffic, littering, and problems for established businesses, making cities less attractive to investors.
"We're finishing up the process of moving vendors from 5th Avenue and other town locations to alternative spaces we picked out. This helps everyone switch to legal trading more easily," Ndlovu explained. The council will team up with the Zimbabwe Republic Police for enforcement after completing the relocations. "We'll monitor things around the clock, but need police help since our city officers can't arrest people," he added.
Numbers shared with Sunday News show big problems with vendor compliance. The city has 3,416 vending spots downtown, with 3,279 currently filled. Only 244 vendors have proper licenses to operate legally. Most unlicensed vendors are spread across various city locations, creating major differences between space assignments and actual licenses. The city has 16 vendor areas downtown. The busiest spot sits between Lobengula Street and Herbert Chitepo from 6th Avenue to 8th Avenue, with 814 spaces filled but just 12 properly licensed. Highlanders has 749 spots, with 720 assigned and 184 licensed.
At Baktas near 2nd Avenue and Lobengula Street, all 175 spots are assigned, but none have licenses. The same goes for the corner of 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street—all 337 spaces lack proper licenses. Every vendor at Hyper lacks legal permission. At 6th Avenue Extension, only three out of 118 assigned vendors have licenses. Along Lobengula Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, just three out of 121 assigned spots have legal permission.
The Flower Trading Site next to Large City Hall has eight licensed vendors out of 37 assigned spots. At the Fruits and Vegetables area on Robert Mugabe Way and 8th Avenue, only one vendor out of 52 assigned spaces has a license. The Bulawayo Traders and Vendors Association wants talks between the government and vendors. Executive Director Michael Ndiweni stressed the need for discussion to find solutions that benefit everyone involved with city business.
"We back the government plan but emphasize talking first. Connecting with different groups in informal business lets us tackle issues like trash and law-breaking without harsh crackdowns," Ndiweni said. He believes night vending creates good economic chances when managed properly under the law. "We think working together to teach vendors about rules and supporting active business even at night could bring more money for everyone," he explained.
Bulawayo United Residents Association chair Winos Dube praised the government's actions as necessary. He pointed out the urgent need to clean up and organize the city after messy vendor activities. "We hope this ultimatum becomes real action to create a better organized and cleaner city," said Dube. The city council keeps looking for balanced answers that help vendors but also protect the broader community.
The government, through Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe, issued a two-day ultimatum last Wednesday about night vending. Officials argue that unregulated street selling downtown causes more foot traffic, littering, and problems for established businesses, making cities less attractive to investors.
