Harare vows to continue vendor blitz

By Helen Kadirire

The Harare City Council (HCC) has vowed to appeal against a temporary injunction blocking the eviction of vendors from the CBD.

Acting town clerk Josephine Ncube said they would escalate the legal battle arguing their efforts would be worth it as they were defending Harare’s civilised systems in the wake of an outbreak of a deadly typhoid outbreak.

“We went to court on Tuesday and the matter was postponed. Unless we are served with a court order, nothing is stopping us from carrying on with the removal of vendors in the city,” she told the Daily News.

Harare mayor Bernard Manyenyeni said the city was caught up in a difficult position with regard to vending.

“Morally these people are trying to feed their families, and then on the other hand we have to answer to our call of duty and clean the city,” he said.

Tuesday’s injunction was issued in response to a petition filed to the High Court seeking to block the demolitions ordered by the HCC after an inter-ministerial taskforce led by the Health ministry banned vending of all uncooked and cooked foods following a typhoid outbreak that has so far claimed two lives.

High Court judge David Mangota granted the order in chambers.

“Respondents have been interdicted from initiating or proceeding with the demolition of vending stalls, destruction of property and eviction of first applicant (Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation,(Viset)’s members from areas they are operating from,” the vendors’ attorney Tonderai Bhatasara said. Daily News