Government’s Ultimatum: A Necessary Step to Restore Order or Just a Knee-jack to a Complex Problem?

By Regina Pasipanodya

Recently the Minister of Local Governance and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe issued an ultimatum directing local authorities to clear vendors from undesignated points within 48 hours. This follows an observation by the government that the mushrooming of these unregulated marketplaces has caused disruptions to the operations of legally registered and law-abiding traders, leading to increased unfair competition and potential financial losses.

However, while others see this as a necessary step to restore order and sanity in the country’s cities and towns, the question remains is it the answer to this crisis considering the economic brunt faced by vendors in the country?

Could this not be an attack on the livelihoods of vulnerable vendors as others would see it as just a knee-jerk reaction to a complex problem?”

However, Economist Farai Mutambanengwe viewed this as more of a stop-gap than a solution.

“As long as the vendors have no alternative income sources they are likely to continue playing cat-and-mouse games with the authorities,” Mutambanengwe told Zimba Wave News.

For decades now, vendors have sprouted out in big cities and towns as vending in Zimbabwe has become a significant livelihood component of vulnerable groups in the society such as People With Disabilities, women and the young among others.

However, in his statement today Hon. Garwe has said that the local government has observed the menace that vendors are making in the streets; becoming a haven for crime, causing havoc, competing with legal retails among other things.

All these were enough to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to remove vendors off the streets but is this the answer?

Mutambanengwe highlighted that unless the real problem is not addressed the situation will remain a cat-and-mouse game which will even create more problems as people will be exposed to other dangers like being hit by a car whilst running away from the streets.

The questions that we should be asking right now are that;
Why are people on the streets?
Is there any other place that they can go and continue with their daily hustle?
If off the streets, doing away with vendors is there any other job that they can do too? Earn a living?
If today we force them off the streets, where are we taking them?

These are some of the questions that our government should consider before issuing a decree.

The issue with vendors is a long-time crisis that requires a holistic approach rather than solving a problem by creating another one.

The cat-and-mouse solutions have always been used especially with mushikashika kombis but Zimbabwe is still grappling with that same problem.

It is high time our government conducts stakeholder engagement so that collectively these problems are addressed.