Out going Mayor of Harare Bernard Manyenyeni has said the government must deliver the economy with jobs to address the issue of vending in the Central Business District (CBD) during a meeting with journalists in Harare today.
Manyenyeni was giving a valedictory address to the media as his term in office comes to an end.
“The new government (coming in from the Monday elections) must deliver the the economy for jobs for all these people (vendors) and others,” Manyenyeni said.
“A new transport regime must replace the combies and the mushikashika phenomenon.”
The Mayor, who finishes his duty on Monday, said that fixing the economy for solving the issue of vending needs political will.
“Vendors are a symptom of the real problem,” Manyenyeni said. “The problem is the economy and the economy problem is politics.”
“When I talk of being the city mayor at its very weakest, I dont need anymore evidence that the high number of vendors feeding families from the CBD and elsewhere.”
“The key ingredients for a successful municipality are, the economy must function well,” Manyenyeni told journalists. The government relationships including legal political and autonomy must be sound and correct.”
Harare City Council has been attacked by the government, industrialists and informal traders over the vending situation in the capital’s CBD.
In a meeting between the government and the informal sector yesterday, vendors said the past five years were challenging with the council chasing away street traders from the CBD.
A fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Zimbabwe, Amos Mazarire is on the record saying “Informal trading, including on city roadways, has now become a culture to the extent that the authorities are finding it difficult to reverse.”
An organisation for retailers Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) says, “… the retail sector is under siege literally. One just wonders if the so-called city fathers are paying any attention to this deplorable situation and if so what they are planning to do about it.”
Manyenyeni also said compliance and participation of the residence and rate payers is critical.
“Your city needs a performing economy to deliver,” Manyenyeni said. ” Your city needs an enabling government which assures council and autonomy it requires to run its affairs. Tour city needs clear focused and competent elected officials to lead it in policy making.”
