Full text of vendors petition to Parliament
The National Vendors Union Zimbabwe submitted a petition to parliament, urging the state to halt its intended eviction of urban street vendors from CBDs across Zimbabwe.
The government through the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ignatius Chombo, issued a 14 day ultimatum for vendors to move out of all CBDs.
Despite moves from the police to block vendors from marching and submitting the petition, the march went ahead following a High Court order issued at 1:17 ordering the police not to interfere with marchers.
NAVUZ through its lawyers the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights submitted an urgent High Court application last night arguing that the police ban on the march is a violation of freedoms of assembly and expression, guaranteed in the Constitution. NAVUZ is of the view that the High Court ruling is a triumph for activists pursuing the constitutionalism agenda.
Petition Contents:
The vendors call for the urgent intervention of parliament to halt the impending evictions of vendors from the CBD on Friday 26th June 2015 unless the following conditions are met:
1. All vendors have been allocated alternative vending spaces, the current available vending stalls will only cater for 6 000 vendors in Harare yet Harare alone has over 100 000 urban street vendors registered under the banner of NAVUZ. Today’s petition alone was signed by 26 000 urban street vendors in Harare.
2. Urgently stop the politicization and militarization of vending, the current ‘available’ vending spaces are owned by space barons closely linked to the ruling oligarchy.
3. A commission of inquiry is established to undertake a needs assessment for vendors and adequate infrastructure with adequate ablutions facilities erected. The commission of inquiry must also undertake to look into the different categories of vendors and their different operational contexts and interests. It should also look into the actual numbers of vendors.
4. The designated vending sites must charge affordable rates that are in sync with income levels.
5. Parliament must begin to debate and legislate the formalization of vending as an alternative form of employment. NAVUZ has already produced an alternative draft Bill that addresses protection of livelihoods through street vending and is in consonance with the constitution
In light of the ultimatum, the vendors have resolved that the government ultimatum is null and void until such as time that government follows due process in addressing the plight of vendors.
NAVUZ has also engaged the twin ministries of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and the Small to Medium enterprises and Development to open dialogue and inclusive engagement with stakeholders and the public on the issue of vending.
To that end NAVUZ is planning a Public Meeting where respective ministers are invited to interface with vendors before the ultimatum so that they are also able to appreciate the issues and concerns from vendors and define an inclusive and informed approach in addressing the vending issue.
For and on behalf of the National Vendors Union Zimbabwe
Samuel Wadzai, National Director, NAVUZ
