A GANG of suspected Zanu PF space barons illegally parcelled out new vending bays to illegal traders in Bulawayo’s Central Business District (CBD) on Thursday this week.
The bays were reportedly dished out at corner 5th Avenue and Josiah Tongogara Street.
A shop owner who preferred to remain anonymous fearing victimisation told Southern Eye that they were surprised to see a group claiming to be Zanu PF members dishing out trading bays close to their premises.
“I can confirm that there were people going around here claiming to be Zanu PF comrades, they cleared the area allocating vending bays to traders. They came in the morning and said they will come back again today (Friday),” the shop owner said.
One security guard in the area said: “I saw them in the morning cleaning up the alleys in front of the shops.. They said they are Zanu PF members and we just left them to do their business.”
Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Archibald Chiponda said he was not aware of the CBD invasions by any member of his party.
“I am not aware of that because no one informed me about it. But if l may ask how do you know they are Zanu PF (members), because people can go around claiming to be who they are not? Go and first confirm before consulting me because l am not aware of the issue,” Chiponda said.
Zanu PF Ward 1 Councillor Forest Mutangi said such culprits should be brought to book for breaking the laws.
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"These people illegally allocating vending bays should be arrested because all trading bays belong to the city council. We have already warned the culprits to stop. But speaking as a Zanu PF member, we are not aware of what was happening in that area. l am hearing it from you as it is right now," Mutangi said.
Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) executive director Micheal Ndiweni said none of the traders association members were part of the dubious Thursday vending bay allocation process.
“BVTA members were not part of that process and they are not,” Ndiweni said.
The Bulawayo City Council has over the year had running battles with Zanu PF-linked people over illegal parcelling of vending bays in the city.
