Tiyani Hahlani
Centre News Hub
HARARE — The Government’s impending crackdown on vendors operating from unauthorised trading sites is set to test its commitment to the recently adopted National Informal Economy Formalisation Strategy, with an informal traders’ organisation warning that mass displacement could undermine the policy’s central objectives.
The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) has urged Government and local authorities to ensure that the planned nationwide cleanup operation does not turn formalisation into a process of simply removing informal traders from the streets without providing viable alternatives.
The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works has given informal traders operating from unauthorised sites in Harare and other urban areas until next Wednesday to vacate the spaces ahead of the nationwide cleanup.
While VISET acknowledged Government’s responsibility to maintain clean, safe and orderly urban environments, it said enforcement must be aligned with the National Informal Economy Formalisation Strategy, which recognises the informal economy as a critical component of Zimbabwe’s economy.
The strategy seeks to address informality through inclusion, formalisation, social protection, decent work, access to infrastructure and meaningful participation.
VISET said the Government’s approach to the cleanup would therefore be critical in determining whether the formalisation strategy translates into practical opportunities for informal traders or becomes an enforcement exercise.
“Formalisation cannot mean simply removing people from where they currently earn a living, but it must create pathways for informal traders to transition into safer, more secure and sustainable forms of economic activity,” said VISET.
The organisation warned that removing vendors without viable alternatives could disrupt livelihoods and push already vulnerable workers into greater economic insecurity.
It called for informal traders and their representative organisations to be meaningfully involved in decisions on relocation, designated trading spaces and enforcement measures.
VISET also demanded that adequate, affordable and accessible alternative trading spaces be provided before vendors are displaced.
The organisation said enforcement should be transparent and humane, with vendors clearly informed about applicable requirements, timelines and procedures.
It further called for protection against harassment, assault, arbitrary confiscation of goods and other forms of abuse during enforcement operations.
Beyond relocation, VISET said the Government needed to make formalisation easier by introducing affordable and simplified registration, licensing and compliance processes.
It also called for investment in infrastructure and services at designated trading sites, including sanitation, water, waste management, storage, security and access to markets.
For VISET, the success of the cleanup will ultimately depend on whether Government can coordinate central authorities, local authorities, vendors and other stakeholders around a transition from unauthorised trading spaces to sustainable formalised businesses.
The organisation said a clear transition framework was needed to prevent vendors from simply being displaced from their sources of income.
VISET urged Government to view the forthcoming operation as more than a cleanup exercise, arguing that it could instead provide an opportunity to advance the formalisation agenda through constructive engagement, appropriate infrastructure, social protection and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
“Zimbabwe can achieve clean, orderly and functional cities without sacrificing the livelihoods and dignity of informal traders,” said VISET.
The statement places the spotlight on how Government will balance urban order with the economic realities of informal traders, many of whom depend on street trading and other informal activities for their livelihoods.
For the formalisation strategy to succeed, VISET said its implementation must remain at the heart of the Government’s response to informal trading.
The organisation said it remained ready to engage Government, local authorities, informal traders and other stakeholders in finding sustainable solutions that promote orderly urban development while protecting the rights and livelihoods of informal economy workers.
