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Municipal Reporter
Vendors at Mupedzanhamo Market in Mbare last week chased away Harare City Council employees who had gone to the market to issue them with vendor cards and remove “space barons” who grab stalls and then sublet them.

The city employees had to flee as a group of rowdy vendors demanded that they leave the market or risk being bashed. But the city said it would not be deterred by the incident and would move in to restore order and remove space barons who were now controlling the market.

The city’s principal communications officer Mr Michael Chideme confirmed that city workers were chased away from Mupedzanhamo by the vendors. “We are moving in to register all vendors in the city, issue them with vendor cards, and also remove space barons from all markets. We want one vending stall per trader.

“Our message is that we are not going back on restoring order. Today’s resistance to put order at Mupedzanhamo will not deter us from working towards a world class city”, he said.

The city has discovered that there are some people who sell space at the market.