THE move by the Bulawayo City Council to clear the air on reports of impending eviction of vendors operating at the Basch Street terminus, also known as Egodini, should be commended.
Last year there were reports that council had given the vendors and businesses operating around the area a December 31 2013 deadline to relocate to make way for a planned regional transport hub.
The directive had given businesspeople and informal traders sleepless nights as they argued that council had not allowed them adequate time to find alternative places to do their businesses.
Egodini is one of the busiest places around Bulawayo’s central business district, which means good business prospects for vendors.
The relocation would have hit the vendors hard on the pockets at a time they would be trying to raise fees for their children ahead of the first school term.
Bulawayo mayor Martin Moyo told a meeting this week that the directive was issued without his council’s knowledge.
He said council was still negotiating with the South African company that submitted a proposal to revamp Egodini.
The confusion should give council a valuable lesson on the importance of communication.
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Reports of the relocations started surfacing in August after the businesspeople were handed the alleged letter and they even went to the extent of creating a committee to lobby against the evictions.
However, Moyo only addressed the matter when the purported deadline had lapsed.
There is a high possibility that the confusion disrupted other people’s plans and the costs could be enormous.
Bulawayo desperately needs investment, but it does not have to be at a cost to those already operating.
The Egodini upgrade will without doubt change the face of the city.
Moyo and his councillors, once the deal is sealed, should consult residents widely and work out a plan that would ensure that people’s livelihoods are not destroyed.
Council has the capacity to find alternative trading areas for the affected businesses and there is no need to politicise the issue.
