Former opposition lawmaker Fadzayi Mahere wants the Zimbabwe government to tackle the real problems behind the failing economy. She believes fixing these issues would create decent jobs, letting people earn money without selling goods on streets. Her comments came after officials ordered local authorities Wednesday to remove illegal vendors from city streets within 48 hours, especially those trading at night.
Mahere pointed out that nobody chooses street selling as their dream job. People turn to vending because the massive unemployment crisis leaves them no other way to feed their families. She compared today's situation with the 1980s when Zimbabwe streets had very few vendors because the economy actually worked back then.
At that time, Zimbabweans could finish school, learn skills, find jobs, or start businesses. The country had money that kept its value, much less extreme poverty, and little corruption compared to the current $2.2 billion annual loss. Agriculture thrived alongside manufacturing and service businesses—all things Mahere says disappeared from modern Zimbabwe.
The former Mt Pleasant representative claimed every Zimbabwean wants dignity. She described her fellow citizens as hard workers with natural resilience. Yet they lack any environment where average people can make decent money through regular employment. Mahere stressed nobody dreams of spending days and nights selling items just to survive.
She questioned what choices regular people have when pushed into desperate situations by leaders she called predatory, corrupt, incompetent, and greedy. Mahere promised that fixing basic economic problems would naturally solve the street vendor situation by creating better opportunities. She criticized forcing vendors off the streets when government failures initially drove them there.
According to Mahere, government officials making these decisions live completely different lives. They enjoy air conditioning, expensive cars, and luxury from money taken from public resources. Those funds should have helped the economy instead of funding lavish lifestyles for political insiders. She called the current administration the most anti-poor government Zimbabwe has ever seen.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe defended the 48-hour deadline. He claimed unregulated street markets hurt legal businesses through unfair competition. The minister also mentioned health concerns, warning these crowded markets could spread diseases like cholera and typhoid through unsanitary conditions.
Mahere pointed out that nobody chooses street selling as their dream job. People turn to vending because the massive unemployment crisis leaves them no other way to feed their families. She compared today's situation with the 1980s when Zimbabwe streets had very few vendors because the economy actually worked back then.
At that time, Zimbabweans could finish school, learn skills, find jobs, or start businesses. The country had money that kept its value, much less extreme poverty, and little corruption compared to the current $2.2 billion annual loss. Agriculture thrived alongside manufacturing and service businesses—all things Mahere says disappeared from modern Zimbabwe.
The former Mt Pleasant representative claimed every Zimbabwean wants dignity. She described her fellow citizens as hard workers with natural resilience. Yet they lack any environment where average people can make decent money through regular employment. Mahere stressed nobody dreams of spending days and nights selling items just to survive.
She questioned what choices regular people have when pushed into desperate situations by leaders she called predatory, corrupt, incompetent, and greedy. Mahere promised that fixing basic economic problems would naturally solve the street vendor situation by creating better opportunities. She criticized forcing vendors off the streets when government failures initially drove them there.
According to Mahere, government officials making these decisions live completely different lives. They enjoy air conditioning, expensive cars, and luxury from money taken from public resources. Those funds should have helped the economy instead of funding lavish lifestyles for political insiders. She called the current administration the most anti-poor government Zimbabwe has ever seen.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe defended the 48-hour deadline. He claimed unregulated street markets hurt legal businesses through unfair competition. The minister also mentioned health concerns, warning these crowded markets could spread diseases like cholera and typhoid through unsanitary conditions.
