BULAWAYO mayor Martin Moyo is today expected to engage vendors on a number of issues that include the contentious allocation of licences, bays and harassment of traders by municipal police.
BY NQOBILE BHEBHE
Moyo would meet vendors as part of the “accountability forum” organised by the Bulawayo City Council and the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA) at the Praise and Worship Centre.
ZCIEA Bulawayo president Musa Nyoni said the forum would address a number of issues affecting vendors.
“The purpose of this forum is to provide vendors and informal traders the opportunity to engage with service providers and public representatives,” Nyoni said.
“In this meeting, vendors will engage the mayor on vending licences, vending bays, the new proposed vending by-laws, confiscation of goods, harassment by Bulawayo municipal police and ZCIEA-Bulawayo proposal for the development of an informal sector policy,” Nyoni said.
Last year Moyo came under fire from vendors after he failed to attend a meeting with them.
Over 200 vendors and informal traders from across the city’s main trading sites and across suburbs are expected to attend.
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ZCIEA said the meeting is meant to “inculcate a culture of transparency and accountability between duty bearers and rights holders”.
“It would provide a platform for informal traders’ views to influence socio-economic governance issues,” Nyoni added.
Running battles between vendors and municipal police are a common occurrence in the central business district.
Vendors accuse municipality police of confiscating wares almost daily.
Bulawayo’s Lobengula and Herbert Chitepo streets have become the hub of vending.
