Yes, that was the message written on the wall from biblical times portending the demise of a great man during Prophet Daniel’s time. Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.

You get the feeling that is the same message on the wall for illegal vendors who have had an ugly reign in the city centre occupying every road and thoroughfare, nook and cranny.

Whereas a couple of years ago they were law abiding and law fearing, this time around they have become a law unto themselves.

That is why they have had the bravado to tread the most sacred of grounds.

Like First Street.

Harare has become a virtual colony of vendors who by no means are not as many as 60 000 as some people would want us to believe but have the distinction of occupying the most inconvenient of places, that is pavements that people are supposed to walk on.

Now there is a suggestion that authorities should now avail alternative thoroughfares because the pavements have now been occupied by vendors!

But did we say a colony?

Yes, we are not in Goodwill Zwelithini’s league but the other thing that is in the habit of making colonies are ants, and you begin to see the picture of the invasion of the streets of Harare.

But then ants are orderly, which makes the Vendor Colony of Harare different from any likeness of a Colony of Ants.

A choice, an attitude

Let us be clear. Vending is an economic activity, which is not unique to Zimbabwe.

It is also a choice that somebody has to undertake and connected to this choice, if we can further dissect it, is the choice of goods to sell and where to sell the same.

As such one also decides to do it legally or illegally.

The problem that we have on our hands is not one of legal vendors who are law-abiding citizens who not only sell at designated points but also pay their dues to the local authority.

The problem we have is that of illegal vendors who not only have decided to invade the streets and paying regard to no one, including their customers, and certainly do not buy the idea that you must render unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar.

It becomes then an attitudinal problem.

You have a bunch of people who wilfully defy the laws of the land and hide behind the finger of economic hardship.

They also hide behind politics first with what the First Lady didn’t exactly say and later behind an MDC-T activist called Stan Zvorwadza.

But let’s again go back to the issue of attitude.

Surely, if somebody decides to unload a truck of firewood on First Street for the benefit of cooking mazondo, surely it is an attitude problem rather than an economic one?

We are sure that someone out there is beating their chests that they are the ones that started trading mabhero (bales of used clothes) on First Street.

Yes, such is the dishonourable honour!

The beginning of the end

But then with what has obtained in the past week, you begin to sense that the end is nigh for our dear lawless friends.

You see, vendors – illegal vendors – were told to vacate the streets to move to designated areas over a month ago.

First it was a seven-day ultimatum.

On the lapse of the ultimatum there was visible palpitations or let’s say a cautiousness that came as the vendors thought their reign was up.

Nothing happened in the morning.

Nor the evening.

In the intervening days nothing happened, either.

Then it was back to business full time, even when the other ultimatum was issued.

Vendors simply ignored the ultimatum and life went on, as if nothing happened.

It may be noted that the vendors could have been emboldened, nay encouraged, by the inaction of the City Fathers who did not do much to follow through the Government directive.

It is the same City Fathers who are guilty of dereliction of duty after allowing this vendor wound to fester when they should have simply enforced their by-laws which proscribe anything and everything we are seeing of the chaos in Harare.

The City Fathers are with little doubt inspired by their political principals in the MDC to do nothing but let the chaos reign on and on.

Until, perhaps, the Tunisia moment, which the MDC-T, eager so much to follow what it sees on TV and feeling voyeuristic at that, has been waiting for.

It hopes it to be its Lazarus moment.

Enter Tyson the Thug

It has to be more than a coincidence that the week that Saviour Kasukuwere was assigned to the Ministry of Local Government is the same week that we have seen the city council worming into action and deploying its black and blue-clad cops to deal with the menace of vendors.

We are not quite sure what he may have said to the council but one could guess that the man called Tyson could have told the council that he is the biggest thug in the country and could take matters into his own hands.

By the way, we hear that he has advised City Fathers that if they fail to remove vendors they themselves will be removed!

What choice of words.

(To which he could also add that he is a big elephant that cannot be hunted by catapults!)

But interesting times are sure to come in the coming week.

The Harare City Council has shown us that it does not have the capacity to handle the rot they allowed to settle and fester.

The only logical thing is to allow those capacitated enough – and with willpower enough – to come in and deal with the lawlessness.

Illegal vending is lawlessness and it should not be allowed.

We also expect that out with vendors go other ills such as touting and mshikashika and rogue kombis.

It will not take a week, we can guarantee you.

And this will be besides the whimpering of the opposition, which certainly will also enjoy the show and the fruits of the exercise.

To our vendor friends, enjoy while it lasts.

For your numbers are numbered!

 

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