Edmore Mhangami
Karoi City Council this week launched a blitz on vendors as part of plan to deal with the vendors defying the order to evacuate the streets.
The vendors were ordered to leave the streets and apply for vending licenses but ignored the call.
This has led the council to launch blitz in what now has been termed a cat-and-mouse scenario between vendors and municipal police.
Vendors who spoke to this reporter challenged the council to first create strategic points in the Central Business District to ensure the survival of their businesses.
“We are not defying the directive but we are saying the council should come up with ways to ensure the survival of our business. Strategies such as building flea market tables in the Country C.B.D might be helpful,” said one of the vendors.
The country’s informal employment has marked a rapid increase to 95.2 percent up from 94.5 recorded in 2015.
The development clearly reflects the scourge of an ailing economy and came to light following statistics released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat).
In its 2016 labor force survey Zimstat states that of the 6.3 million people aged 15 and above, more than 5.9 million are not formally employed.
The survey further alleged that 98% of youth aged 14-25 are not formally employed while the same percentage applies to adults aged 68 and above.
