CHRA Urges Humane Approach to Harare Vending Crackdown

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has called for a more humane approach to the city’s efforts to remove vendors from undesignated trading areas, saying thousands of residents depend on informal trading for their livelihoods.

The association said it supported efforts to improve cleanliness and restore order in the capital but warned that enforcement measures should not leave vendors without viable sources of income.

“While we appreciate the need for a clean city, we remain very much alive to the fact that vending is a source of livelihood to thousands of unemployed residents in Harare,” CHRA said.

The association urged authorities to increase the number of designated vending sites and ensure that relocated traders have access to areas where they can attract customers.

“Restoring order and cleanliness should not impact negatively on livelihoods hence the need for a win-win strategy,” it said.

CHRA said some vendors had previously abandoned designated trading spaces because they were located away from busy areas and were difficult for customers to access.

“Over the years, we have witnessed how vendors have abandoned ‘designated sites’ that were not accessible to customers hence the need to create vending spaces that are economically viable,” the association said.

The residents’ group also called on municipal authorities and law enforcement officers to exercise restraint during Operation Chenesa Harare an ongoing campaign aimed at removing vendors and other activities from undesignated areas.

“CHRA also calls upon authorities and the municipal police to exercise restraint and desist from a heavy-handed approach in implementing the operation Chenesa Harare aimed at removing vendors from undesignated sites,” it said.

The association also highlighted the situation of people living with disabilities who rely on vending for their livelihoods.

“There is also a critical need to consider the plight of special groups that include people with disabilities who are making a living out of vending,” CHRA said.

“Special consideration must be given to their plight.”

CHRA said the city authorities should seek to balance efforts to improve Harare’s appearance and public order with the economic realities facing residents.

“A clean city yes; but residents’ livelihoods matter,” the association said.