Shop owners boycott rates as vendors wreak havoc

SEVERAL shop owners including major supermarkets in the Central Business District are boycotting paying rates to council in protest over the influx of illegal vendors, who are selling the same commodities in front of their shops.

Informal Sector Committee chairperson Councillor Wilton Janjazi yesterday confirmed the development saying some shop owners had petitioned council over the issue.

“We have received some petitions from shop owners saying the vendors were driving them out of business,” he said.

According to the recent minutes of the Informal Sector Committee, councillors expressed concern at the high rate of on street vending in the Central Business District.

“His worship the Mayor (Bernard Manyenyeni) and senior council officials had undertaken a tour of the city and observed that most pedestrian pavements and the frontage of shops were occupied by illegal vendors.

The vendors had moved away from designated sites and revenue collection had decreased,” read the minutes.

“The acting town clerk (Mrs Josephine Ncube) acknowledged that the situation had deteriorated as vendors sold their wares in front of shops generating large amounts of litter in the process. Shop owners were boycotting payment of rates as a result.”

The committee expressed the need to engage relevant ministries to assist in controlling the illegal vending in the CBD.

Mrs Ncube suggested that council comes up with the position that vendors should not sell their wares from undesignated or unauthorised sites.

Councillors said the city should implement its resolutions regarding vending by providing infrastructure and toilets at designated vending sites.

Mrs Ncube told councillors that the tender for construction of public toilets had already been awarded and council would then approach Government for assistance in handling vending in the city.

According to the same minutes housing and social development director, Mr Edmore Nhekairo told councillors that the city intends to procure vending tents and was quoted $10 000 each, an amount which was above the council heads of department threshold, hence, the need to go to tender.

“The total cost of the tents for the three market sites was $170 000 for 17 tents.

“The report on authority to procure tents through tender had been prepared and would be tabled in the next procurement committee meeting.

“Arising from the discussion, the committee wanted to know whether council would be able to control the sites.

“The district administration manager advised that, once council purchased the branded tent, council would have control of the market sites.”