Grace, Chombo on collision path

By Margaret Chinowaita

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace has stuck to her guns on vendors — maintaining that the police should not force them out from the streets — effectively setting herself on a collision path with Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo who recently declared war on street hawkers.

As she launched the International Women’s Day yesterday, the increasingly influential First Lady said the police should not employ heavy-handed tactics when dealing with vendors — who are desperately eking a living on the streets.

This comes as the ever-increasing numbers of vendors on the streets is presenting a big problem for councils — with Chombo recently declaring that government will soon clean up the streets to bring order.

Yesterday, at a local hotel in Harare, Grace however, said the police should leave the vendors to do their business.

“However, I want to urge government to ensure that a conducive environment is put in place for women’s involvement in different sectors this should include women vendors who are subjected to all kinds of ill treatment.

“Mapurisa (Police), mapurisa please, mapurisa, probably you were able to go to school and attested in the police force because your mother was selling tomatoes to pay your school fees,” said Grace.

Grace said the police should henceforth stop the practice of confiscating wares they would have raided from desperate vendors.

“Ngatiregerei kutorera vanhu zvinhu zvavo, ndakati kana vasiri kutengesera mumadesignated places taurai navo zvakanaka havarambi. Kana muine nzara musina matomatoes kweretai chikwereti hachirambwi, nekuti matomatoes iwayo amuri kutora nezvimwe zvamunenge muchitora kana zvakunzi chiburitsai tione munenge musina zvichinzi zvakaora. Isu tinenge tatorerwa zvinhu zvedu zvichinzi zvakaora tiratidzei zvakangoora kudaro. Ngatiregei kudarano veduwe tiri kutsvaga kurarama.

(Police you should desist from taking away goods from vendors. Sometimes if they are perishable goods you say they are rotten when they demand that you return them. You should return the goods even if they are rotten. If it is an issue of designated selling points you should talk to them they will not refuse.)

Almost giving orders to the police, Mugabe’s wife said the law enforcement agents should respect vendors.

“Vazvinzwa vakuru vemapurisa vagere pamberi apo, (Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity) Mai Charamba nevamwe vavo vazvinzwa. Mazvinzwa mhamha handiti.” (The police bigwigs seated in the front row have understood me.).

“The participation of women in politics and decision-making is a fundamental pre-requisite for gender equality and women empowerment,” said Grace.

“I firmly believe that eradication of poverty and economic empowerment of women as enunciated in the Beijing Declaration are the chief anchors for achieving gender equality,” she added.

A grovelling Chris Mushowe, who is the acting minister of Women Affairs and Gender Development, said the path for women is going to be easier with Grace’s entry into mainstream politics as Zanu PF secretary for women’s affairs. Daily News