Crackdown on Gweru vendors intensifies as city council police and ZRP join forces

Samson Muchirahondo

A joint operation between Police and Gweru Municipal cops to wipe out vendors in the city has intensified with the forces vowing to leave no stone unturned in their quest to deal with the menace once and for all.

The operation gained much grip early last month after the city recorded numerous typhoid cases, resulting to loss of lives with council saying illegal vending should be put to a halt to avoid spread of the deadly disease.

On Sunday both traffic and council cops were engaged in cat and mouse chase with illegal vendors who seemed to have succumbed to pressure.

The cops were taking away all illegal vendors wares, and scotch carts in an attempt to frustrate them.

A vendor only identified as Mai Tino said the forces were hiding with a finger to address typhoid issue through removing vendors.

“Gweru is not the only city with vendors, Harare actually has quarter of its residents as vendors, but there is no tymphoid. Council should address its water and sewer reticulation systems first before laying blame on us,” she said.

Mr Emmanuel Tazviona said wiping away vendors was a no solution to challenges bedevilling both Gweru and the nation as a whole.

“The economy is on its knees that is what should be addressed at the moment, we are not vendors by choice but desperation,” he said.

The city of Gweru had a refreshing moment whole of last weekend as there was arguably no vendor in front of OK and Pick and Pay stores where they usually sprout causing human chaos in the corridors.

Despite council town Clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza claiming that typhoid was now under control there are new fears amid serious shortage of water supply as the taps have been dry since last week.