HARARE - Vendors and kombi operators have been given a 30-day grace period to register with Harare City Council (HCC).
HCC town clerk Tendai Mahachi told a press conference yesterday that registration for vendors will be free of charge, while all those already in the system should re-register in this new exercise.
He said registration points will be at Trafalgar Court, Rowan Martin, Cleveland House, Publicity office at Africa Unity Square, and all district offices.
“It is that honest acceptance that the informal sector is a vital cog in employment creation and self-sustenance that we put in place mechanisms that will promote our informal
sector,” Mahachi said.
Flea market operators will pay $3 daily for trading space while fruit, vegetable, airtime, dried foods and newspaper vendors are expected to pay $1 per day.
All vendors will be allowed one spot only in the city centre and in the suburbs to avoid subletting, racketeering and profiteering.
He emphasised that there would no longer be vending at traffic intersections, road islands, street pavements and in the middle of the road.
“Mobile communication operators are encouraged to sell paperless airtime. Smuggled goods will not be allowed at any of the vending sites,” he said.
He added that council was also looking into fining commuters that are found picking or dropping passengers at undesignated pick-up and drop-off points.
Officer commanding Harare province, senior assistant commissioner Clement Munoriarwa, said the idea behind the exercise was to bring sanity back into Harare by de-congesting the city.
He said with the current economic situation in mind, they would not be using confrontational methods but want people to just understand the prescribed frameworks.
“As much as there are those who are going to comply with the 30-day period, there are those who want to operate outside of the provisions provided and if anyone is found not registered within the time frame, the law will take its course,” Munoriarwa said.