Nick Mangwana defends September 9 vendor crackdown

The government has ordered vendors operating from undesignated sites to relocate by September 9.

By Percy Nhara | Harare

Government has defended its decision to remove vendors operating from undesignated sites, arguing that informal trading must be balanced with public health, safety and the need to keep urban centres orderly.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana said street trading remained an important source of income but could not be allowed to operate without regulation. “The debate over vendor relocation is a complex urban challenge,” Mangwana said in a post on X on Sunday.

He said designated vending areas equipped with basic infrastructure such as ablution facilities and waste-management systems offered a possible compromise between protecting livelihoods and maintaining clean and accessible public spaces. Mangwana also argued that vendors should not operate directly outside supermarkets and other formal businesses because this could create unfair competition and obstruct access to commercial premises.

“The goal is not exclusion but creating sustainable infrastructure that supports commerce while maintaining clean, accessible public spaces for all,” he said. His comments come days before a government deadline requiring vendors operating from unauthorised locations in Harare and the wider metropolitan province to relocate. Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe announced on September 2 that vendors operating outside areas approved by local authorities had until Wednesday, September 9, to vacate.

Government has described the planned enforcement as a “comprehensive, zero-tolerance clean-up operation”. Garwe said illegal vending structures, stalls and sites would be dismantled, while municipal police would remain deployed to prevent traders from returning to cleared areas. The operation is expected to begin in Harare before being extended to other cities and towns.

Authorities say the crackdown is intended to address congestion, blocked pedestrian pathways, sanitation problems and disruption of formal businesses. The government has also directed local authorities to register compliant informal traders and facilitate their placement in designated vending structures. However, questions remain over whether there are enough suitable trading spaces to accommodate vendors who will be affected by the deadline.

The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) has urged authorities to provide viable alternatives before removing traders from existing locations. VISET executive director Samuel Wadzai said formalisation should not simply mean forcing informal traders off the streets without creating sustainable alternatives. The organisation said the crackdown should instead be implemented in line with the National Informal Economy Formalisation Strategy adopted by government this year, which places emphasis on inclusion, infrastructure, social protection and participation.

ZimRights has also called for the September 9 deadline to be suspended, arguing that removing vendors without addressing the economic conditions driving informal trading would deepen poverty. The rights organisation called for dialogue with vendors, accessible marketplaces and safeguards against violence, arbitrary arrests and confiscation of goods during enforcement.

The directive has also attracted criticism from opposition figures, including former Mt Pleasant MP Fadzayi Mahere, who has compared the planned operation to previous government crackdowns on informal settlements and businesses. Meanwhile, some Harare vendors have vowed to resist the order, saying street trading is their only viable source of income amid limited formal employment opportunities.

The dispute has therefore placed the government’s twin objectives of restoring urban order and formalising the informal economy under scrutiny. With the September 9 deadline approaching, the key test will be whether authorities can clear unauthorised trading sites while providing realistic alternatives for thousands of people who depend on informal commerce for their livelihoods.

Zimbabwe vendor crackdown