THE National Consumer Rights Association (Nacora) has applauded the operation being conducted by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) on illegal street vendors that have flooded the business district.
Early this month, BCC reinforced its municipal police force by introducing 173 newly-trained officers meant to restore sanity and order in the city.
The recruits have since been on the roads cracking down on street vendors as per the mission.
Nacora co-ordinator Effie Ncube welcomed the blitz on the vendors saying this was a way of restoring cleanliness in the city and have and law-abiding citizens.
“We need to work on balancing having a clean and law-abiding city on one hand and opportunities for the vulnerable communities to earn income for their families on the other,” Ncube said, adding that achieving this balance required continuous dialogue and an acceptance of the bottom line by both the vendors and the council.
“It will take time to change attitudes. Incomes must be earned without compromising cleanliness. Bulawayo must be a place for both opportunity and cleanliness. Sustained engagement is key,” he added.
Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association director Micheal Ndiweni rode on the sentiments saying the concern is from those that are licensed, who have flagged doing business at the expense of those that are trading without licences.
“They (big licensed businesses) are saying it’s unfair for them to be paying taxes and to the council, while others are allowed to trade without paying anything,, on top of sitting right in front of their shops,” Ndiweni said.
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He said inasmuch as people are trying to earn a living by trading from anywhere, “we will continue having these kinds of conflicts”.
“We know that people are trying to earn a living, but unfortunately, the council is the creator of laws. They have by-laws that they need to enforce. There has to be a balance between those that are working and also working at least within the confines of by-laws,” Ndiweni said.
He said as much as the situation is bad for everyone, people have to share the city.
“I’m trying to imagine a situation where everyone just trades in the middle of the road whereas the city has to be shared with other people. We need sober minds to deal with the situation.”
Meanwhile, some residents blamed the local authority for folding its hands when the number of illegal vendors swelled yet wants to consider cleanliness when the situation has already gone out of hands.
“The council did not act on time when the illegal traders were mushrooming,” a resident, Joilin Maparura, said.
“Had they acted then, we would not be in this situation now.
“Our problem is that we relax when things are going south, and act when the problem has matured and in its comfort zone.”
