The two sides of Julius Nyerere Way

HISTORICALLY, Harare is known as the sunshine city, with attention focused on its high rise buildings on the eastern side of Julius Nyerere. Most formal businesses, those that pay taxes and give proper contracts to employees also operate from the eastern side. But this sort of glitz, at least by Zimbabwean standards, obscures another reality, one of lawlessness and non-conformity with expected norms of formal businesses that is seen on the western side of Julius Nyerere.

While at any given time the eastern side has some semblance of order even from the vendors that operate in the streets, the western side is characterised by chaos, with pedestrians struggling to find pathways, as pavements are taken over by vendors. Noise pollution is the order of the day, as the notorious kombi drivers try to outdo each other in the battle of who plays the loudest music. Not to forget the touts shouting at the top of their voices in calling out destinations, as if commuters do not know where they are supposed to go.

Business wise, the chaos and lawlessness that characterise the environment is also a reflection of how business is conducted. In the western side, they sell goods that were smuggled into the country or did not pay duties as required.

There, the health inspectors are often bribed, you can just see by the lack of ambiance, which even student health inspectors would not pass. During the night, roads are blocked, as pushcarts take over, providing all manner of basic products, at prices probably half of the retailing prices during the day.

On the flip side, property landlords are making a killing. Unlike the eastern side, where voids are upwards of 50 percent, on the western side tenants are scrambling for retail space and those that can’t find formal space, are bringing the famous mupedzanhamo, right into the CBD.