Vendors, municipal police battles costly, says tra...

Vendors, municipal police battles costly, says traders’ association

**Bulawayo municipal police raid vendors**

Zim Now Writer

Illegal vendors in Bulawayo’s central business district are up in arms against the municipal police with the latter alleging they are overpopulating the city centre.

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association executive director, Michael Ndiweni reported that last week, the council police sued informal traders and took their goods thereby ruining their business.

“We always frown upon running battles between traders and law enforcement authorities because they sometimes leave a trail of destruction of property and sometimes injuries,” Ndiweni said.

Ndiweni appealed to the city’s responsible officials to at least provide suitable areas in the CBD for these vendors to afford to fend for their families using their hands in these times of financial constraints in the nation.

He added: “We also strongly call for dialogue to designate spaces for traders and find a lasting solution to this problem, our suggestions are in the public domain.”

Nkulumane M`arket is currently under construction in the city of Bulawayo to reduce the vendors overcrowding at any place in the CBD.

Ndiweni encouraged stakeholders to make use of unoccupied buildings by occupying vendors in them or build them business hubs.

“We are urging stakeholders to put their heads together and create new business hubs that will help decongest the city and even consider repurposing some facilities lying idle in malls like Entumbane and Nkulumane and create new and thriving business and hubs across the city,” he said.