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Minister Kasukuwere

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Government will soon deal with illegal vendors who have crowded out open spaces and pavements in urban areas, especially Harare, to restore sanity in city centres. This was said by Local Government, Public and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere while responding to senators during question time yesterday. Harare has lost its sunshine status due to an influx of vendors in the city centre that has resulted in the random disposal of garbage while vendors relieve themselves on pavements.

“You have someone coming to sell their wares in front of someone’s shop who is paying rates, it’s not fair. I was walking in First Street and some pavements are now impassable,” he said.

Minister Kasukuwere also said Government would deal with space barons that were collecting money from the vendors.

“We have space barons who sell space that doesn’t belong to them, it’s criminal. The unfortunate part is that our council has taken a blind eye to this and I was saying to the deputy mayor (Enock Mupamawonde) when I was with him this morning during the clean-up that enough is enough. This has to come to an end,” he said.

“We are going to deal with this situation. We can’t allow this lawlessness (illegal vending) to go on.”

Police have in the past fought running battles with illegal vendors in a bid to drive them off the streets.

The minister also said land barons were abusing the names of prominent people to fleece desperate homeseekers of their money.

“We have had situations where these land barons give their cooperatives names of national leaders like Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Housing Cooperative or Grace Mugabe Housing Cooperative in trying to ward off authorities.

“We are saying don’t use names without authority from those leaders or their families,” he said.