Council vendor war erupts in Gweru

By Shakespeare Muzavazi

Vendors in Gweru are defying the local municipality’s latest ultimatum to move them out to the city’s outskirts.

The hawkers spent the whole of yesterday playing the cat and mouse chase with the charged Municipal police who are moving in with full force to confiscate goods being sold by the so called ‘illegal vendors’.

Spirited vendors have sworn to sacrifice blood and bone fighting against the council’s ultimatum to dismiss every vendor from the central business district and move them to the city’s Light industries.

Gweru Vendors boss Arnold Shava a push cart vendor known in the vending circles as ‘Vz Vz’ said council should respect them as they have no other alternatives to survive on, due to the economic hardships that has hit the country.

“Everyone is aware that the country has been hit with hard times and vending is the only source of our livelihoods.
“What boggles the mind most is that our customers are found in the CBD hence moving to the city’s outskirts is tantamount to leaving our business,” said Vz Vz.

In an official notice issued out last week by the City’s Town Clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza all illegal vendors, Push Carts including Vehicles selling goods at undesignated areas were ordered to vacate the City’s CBD by March 31