Everything went crazy in Harare after Mayor Jacob Mafume flipped his position on kicking street sellers out. He suddenly started fighting against the government's plan that force vendors to leave within two days. This shocked many because Mafume actually helped create this same plan earlier. His switch put him against the exact officials he worked with to bring police into the situation.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe first announced the removal order. He claimed they needed to clean up the downtown area where unlicensed sellers crowd sidewalks. Mafume shocked everyone by attacking the plan publicly. He said city officers acted like "glorified bouncers" when they roughed up regular people just trying to make money.
The gap between city leaders and national officials keeps growing because they can't agree on how to handle street sellers. Thousands of regular people sell things on the streets because they have no other way to feed their families. The country faces massive job shortages, with about 80 percent of adults unable to find real work. These sellers stay outside all day, facing bad weather and police harassment.
Many citizens expressed anger online about forcing these sellers away without giving them anywhere else to go. Rights groups and regular people called the removals heartless and shortsighted. Former lawmaker Fadzayi Mahere blasted the government for failing to create jobs or keep businesses running after 45 years of independence. She said leaders promised fair chances but delivered suffering instead.
Some vendors refuse to leave despite the threats. The city government seems completely disconnected from national officials on this issue. Nobody knows what might happen next as tension builds between sellers, local authorities, and the national government. This fight shows the bigger money troubles and leadership problems hurting the entire country.
Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe first announced the removal order. He claimed they needed to clean up the downtown area where unlicensed sellers crowd sidewalks. Mafume shocked everyone by attacking the plan publicly. He said city officers acted like "glorified bouncers" when they roughed up regular people just trying to make money.
The gap between city leaders and national officials keeps growing because they can't agree on how to handle street sellers. Thousands of regular people sell things on the streets because they have no other way to feed their families. The country faces massive job shortages, with about 80 percent of adults unable to find real work. These sellers stay outside all day, facing bad weather and police harassment.
Many citizens expressed anger online about forcing these sellers away without giving them anywhere else to go. Rights groups and regular people called the removals heartless and shortsighted. Former lawmaker Fadzayi Mahere blasted the government for failing to create jobs or keep businesses running after 45 years of independence. She said leaders promised fair chances but delivered suffering instead.
Some vendors refuse to leave despite the threats. The city government seems completely disconnected from national officials on this issue. Nobody knows what might happen next as tension builds between sellers, local authorities, and the national government. This fight shows the bigger money troubles and leadership problems hurting the entire country.
