Bulawayo councillors have complained about space barons, mainly linked to the ruling Zanu PF, for frustrating council efforts to restore sanity in the central business district.
The local authority has struggled to control illegal vending in the city centre with some suspected Zanu PF youths said to be now in charge of some streets and pavements.
Last year in September, suspected Zanu PF activists took over a portion of Fifth Avenue and doled out vending bays to party supporters.
In August this year, the party activists outmuscled municipal police and took over a part of the busy Sixth Avenue.
The Bulawayo City Council has had several engagements with the ruling party and Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube to end the crisis, but without success.
According to latest council minutes on the food hygiene: registration of premises, the local authority was also being denied potential revenue by the space barons.
"Space barons collected money from poor vendors into their own pockets, nothing was paid to the council,” the minutes read.
“Previously, all vendors were required to have relevant licenses and be on council marked vending bays. Vending was also restricted to business hours during the day."
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City fathers warned that unregulated vending posed a health threat in the midst of a cholera outbreak.
"The City of Harare had recorded over a hundred several cases of cholera with some deaths. This situation would soon be in the city,” the council said.
“The most affected area would be 5th Avenue. Council is delaying in the enforcement of relevant by-laws.
“Councillor Tinevimbo Maposa (who has since been recalled by Sengezo Tshabangu) was concerned about vending activities which could not be controlled in the CBD because of political interference."
Zimbabwe has recorded 6 685 suspected cholera cases, 1 145 confirmed cases, and 48 confirmed deaths and 136 suspected deaths.
According to the Health ministry situational report, 87 new suspected cholera cases were recorded on Wednesday, with two suspected deaths and 11 cases confirmed.
The local authority has also carried out raids against the illegal vendors in a bid to restore sanity, resulting in running violent battles with municipal police.
“Council should engage all the illegal vendors in the CBD and warn them of the looming health disaster,” the minutes say.
Mayor David Coltart and councillor Dumisani Nkomo supported efforts towards engagements with informal traders.
“Effective enforcement at this moment would not yield any results but rather confrontations,” the minutes read.
“Engagement was the only way to resolve the issues of illegal vending.
“Many vendors comprised the poorest residents in the City and the vulnerable groups such as women, youths and persons living with disability.”
City fathers also suggested turning abandoned and empty buildings in the CBD into vending malls to accommodate the ever increasing number of informal traders.
Zanu PF provincial spokesperson Archibold Chiponda denied claims that the ruling party activists had taken over some of the city’s streets.
