News of the South CHITUNGWIZA – Chitungwiza vendors have expressed anger at the government’s failure to empathise with their plight saying they are ordinary citizens who have been trying to etch an honest living by trading in various wares.
Speaking through the Chitungwiza Residents Trust(CHITREST) the vendors said this insensitive act by government will make their lives miserable as they have lost their only source of income.
In a statement, CHITREST Director Alice Kuveya called upon Chitungwiza Municipality and Central Government to respect citizens’ rights.
“Demolishing vendors’ stalls without engaging them and proffering alternative vending sites is barbaric and grossly inhumane. As a residents organisation we will sit down and map a way forward together with partner vendor’s associations. “We are also engaging our lawyers to find legal recourse considering this is being done without a full council resolution,” Kuveya said.
The trust expressed concern over hoards of vendors in Zengeza, Seke and St Mary’s who were forced to demolish their own vending stalls by a team of Zimbabwe Republic Police and Chitungwiza Municipal Police.
“The site of armed Military Police was menacing and predictably, there was no resistance from the frightened but angry vendors.
“This is particularly so since there has been reports of incidences of use of excessive force on citizens in recent times by the country’s security services,” Kuveya added.
The demolition of vending stalls and other illegal structures happened from Saturday after a directive by Harare and Chitungwiza Municipalities giving vendors a 24 hour notice to bring down their stalls.
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