Zimbabwe: Harare Vendors Given Final Deadline to Clear Streets

What the report says

Zimbabwe’s government has set a 9 September 2026 deadline for informal vendors in Harare to leave unauthorised trading sites, according to 263Chat, which was distributed by AllAfrica. The directive is aimed at street and night vending in the central business district and across the Harare Metropolitan Province, as authorities prepare a wider clean-up campaign.

Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the move is intended to address congestion, blocked walkways, sanitation problems and disruption to formal businesses. He also said the government is concerned about public health and security, and about trading spaces that it says may contribute to drug and substance abuse.

The ministry said vendors should move to designated markets approved by local authorities. It warned that, once the deadline passes, government departments and agencies will begin a zero-tolerance operation to remove illegal stalls and other structures, with municipal police staying in cleared areas to stop traders from returning. Officials also said merchandise could be lost if vendors do not comply.

The Harare operation is expected to be extended to other Zimbabwean cities, towns and urban settlements. The government says the exercise fits into broader goals under its National Development Strategy 2 and Vision 2030, presenting it as part of efforts to restore public order, cleanliness and safer, more orderly trading spaces.