Zimbabwe: 'Order Must Be Maintained' - Govt Orders Crackdown On Illegal Harare Vendors Defying Eviction

What the report says

Zimbabwe’s government has moved to tighten enforcement against illegal street vending in Harare’s central business district, saying the practice will no longer be tolerated and that traders should use designated markets and vending bays instead. The report, published by New Zimbabwe and distributed by AllAfrica, says Local Government minister Daniel Garwe made the announcement on Monday as part of a broader push to restore order in the capital.

Garwe said uncontrolled vending was contributing to congestion, blocked pavements, litter, public health concerns and what he described as declining urban discipline. He also linked the issue to risks such as water-borne disease, including cholera, and said some official vending sites in areas such as Mbare, Mabvuku, Borrowdale and near the Coca-Cola area were being underused while street trading continued on road reserves and sidewalks. He framed the crackdown as an effort to improve cleanliness and support Zimbabwe’s longer-term development goals.

The move has faced pushback from vendors, who say they are being forced out without realistic alternatives and that informal trading is often their only source of income. The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation urged the authorities to align any enforcement with the government’s own informal economy formalisation strategy adopted in April 2026. The dispute highlights the continuing tension in Harare between urban regulation, public health, and the economic pressures driving many people into informal work.