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Herald Reporter
All vendors who have registered with the Harare City Council and obtained vendors’ cards must start operating from the approved sites dotted around the city, the city council has said.

The city council said in a statement yesterday that all trading sites were now ready for occupation.

“All members of the informal sector who have registered with Harare City Council and have been issued with automated vendor cards should start trading from the approved sites immediately,” said the city.

“All trading sites are provided with water and ablution facilities.”

City council advised vendors to pay their daily trading fees of $1,25 or risk losing their stalls to other traders.

Council also warned vendors against corrupt associations who have been making the registration process “challenging”.

“It has come to the attention of council that there are some associations who are forcing people to join them first as a prerequisite for getting council registration,” said the city council.

“These associations are selling their membership cards at the registration sites.”

The city council said the registration process was straight forward.

“The city deals directly with individuals and has not engaged the services of vendor associations to facilitate registration and issuance of the automated cards,” said the city.

“All the trading sites are owned by Harare City Council which, therefore, means no other entity should claim ownership and direct operations of the markets. The relationship at the trading sites is between the trader and council.”

This comes after Harare councillors resolved last week that they will not force illegal vendors out of the streets in line with MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s utterances supporting the illegality.

The decision by the councillors from the MDC-T who dominate the council was met with harsh criticisim from different sectors as it was seen as being retrogressive and meant to retard progress in the city.

Illegal vendors flocked into the streets of Harare in recent months, blocking pavements and roads in some instances.