7 August 7, 2025

For immediate release      

         PRESS RELEASE

SUBJECT:  ZCTU’S RESPONSE TO REMOVAL OF STREET VENDORS

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has noted with concern the directive by the Minister of Local Government, Mr Daniel Garwe banning night street vending and sale of second hand clothes. 

While it is acknowledged that night street vending has negative impact on issues of domestic resource mobilisation, causing disorder in the town and posing health risks due to poor waste disposal, and poor sanitation which all negatively impact on service delivery, safe and clean environment in the cities, as a body representing workers, we would want to point out that, this drastic move without alternative is not favourable for the people of Zimbabwe.  Around 88 percent of the population are working in the informal economy. The Government of Zimbabwe should acknowledge the role of poor policies and governance in the collapse of the economy and high unemployment rate. The chaos we are witnessing in the streets is not merely defiance of public policy and town planning but a public outcry to the deep economic crisis, poverty and lack of sustainable income they are facing.

The streets are congested with millions of graduates from tertiary institutions, because the economy has failed to create enough jobs to absorb job seekers owing to the collapse of the industry, Unemployment and the high cost of living are also factors forcing citizens into night vending. The National Development Strategy 1 had envisioned to create 760 000 jobs for the period 2020-2025 however, this has not been the case. The smaller percentage employed is barely receiving a living wage and are now subsiding salaries with vending. Therefore, vending is not an option but a reaction to high unemployment.

We note and appreciate the establishment of vending stalls in places like Mbare and other sites as a great move. However, issues of accessibility to these sites is a barrier discouraging people to go and occupy those stalls. Night vending is popular because those who will be coming from work can easily pass by buying from vendors as opposed to the established stalls where the working class has to travel there or wait for weekends.  Given this scenario, maximum monitoring and control will be a better option than to drive them away from the streets. Local authorities need to learn and apply the City of Mutare model whereby it identified areas for night vending and establish such places for licensed vendors. This assists in controlling waste disposal, poor sanitation and also boosts revenue for local authority that assists in enhancing service delivery.

As a Congress of Trade Unions we recommend the following as opposed to an outright ban:

1. Regulation of Night Vending by Identifying areas that could be used for such, allocate places upon payment of a gazetted figure that will be ring-fenced to ensure good waste disposal, good sanitation to maintain clean and safe environment.

2. Government should prioritize Job Creation as was envisioned in the National Development Strategy (NDS1) as a sustainable way of removing people from the streets as they would be employed.

3. Government Should Gazette a National Minimum Living Wage that is above Poverty Datum Line (PDL) so that those employed do not alternate with Street Vending. 

4. Fast-track the National Formalisation Strategy. 

Lastly, the informal economy is a reality that the government should not fix with make-shift policies or statements to address but to strategically address. The lasting solutions will not only benefit the government but its people as it will address social protection and extend safety nets for the people will of Zimbabwe. Any act should strike a balance between discharge of public duty and protection of vulnerable members of the community. 

The mantra of leaving no person and no place behind should encompass policy making processes. This ban will leave many unemployed and vulnerable women, youths and graduates roaming in the streets vending behind, suffering and continuously wallowing in poverty.

The Vision 2030 of an upper middle class income economy needs strategic interventions to address the economic crisis not these drastic, repulsive orders that will only cause chaos as police chase vendors without addressing the root causes of the  challenges facing millions of Zimbabwe.

#JobCreation

#WeDemandMillionJobsPromised

#Decent Work

Runesu Dzimiri

Acting Secretary General