For disabled vendors, it is tough business
STUCK in his hunched wheelchair, David Makota (36), a street vendor waves airtime cards to capture the attention of prospective buyers. In front of his wheelchair is a fragile makeshift table made up of cardboard boxes displaying an assortment of wares from phone handsets, phone batteries, ear phones, memory cards among others, all for sale.
But sandwiched in a pool of fellow able-bodied vendors, standing, selling a coterie of similar wares and shouting “airtime yako” (Get your airtime here) Makota’s canvassing receives little to no attention.
In typical aggressive manner of vending, some vendors engage in some-what confrontational encounter with prospective clients, following the supposed clients to some distant still trying to persuade them to buy their wares.
With the increasing number of vendors on the streets of Harare, competition has reached alarming levels, with some employing unorthodox means to make sales.
This includes following them, shouting and sometimes even engaging in song.
But for Makota, like many of his fellow disabled vendors on the streets of Harare, to coerce his clients by following them is impossible.
He has his limitations!
Confined to his wheelchair, most pedestrians who are supposed to be Makota’s clients do not recognise him.
Following the surge in pickpocket cases, many people loath dangling their wallets in the public glare.
Flashing their hard-earned cash in crowded streets like Corner George Silundika and First Street where Makota operates from is dangerous.
They prefer counting and arranging their money in spaces where there is little or no obstruction. When a customer makes that decision Makota cannot easily follow to convince them to buy because of his physical condition.
“Sometimes I see a prospective client holding a dollar in hand intending to come and buy airtime at my table. But in the twinkle of an eye that dollar is quickly snatched away by some of my rival vendors who quickly rush towards client with the airtime.
“It’s very tough. I will be stuck in my wheelchair and at times the day passes without any significant sales as the competition from our fellow able bodied vendors gets tough,” says Makota.
Makota says he was, however, in a better position but felt for his fellow vendors who are deaf and dumb.
He says at times he confronts his rivals while pleading with them not to snatch his would be clients.
“But the deaf and dumb who are also eking out a living through selling on the streets cannot argue their case like I sometimes do.
At times I tell rival vendors to allow me to sell and they understand me. They let some clients come to me but as you can see life is tough they usually ignore my pleas. The playing field is not level my brother,” he said.
Another disabled vendor, Ms Tabeth Ganga says the absence specific vendors association to fight their cause, means that they have nowhere to take their grievances.
“We don’t have a vendors association that specifically fight for our rights so we are left to compete with able bodied vendors.
“It`s very difficult to operate under such circumstances when the ground is not even. If we may put our hands together as the disabled people and form a union of vendors the better,” she said.
Municipal police has not been aiding the plight of the physically challenged street vendors through their unceremonious raids. Romeo Chiguri another disabled vendor operating at corner Robert Mugabe and Julus Nyerere, says he recently lost all his wares to municipal police officers who raided them.
“We are regarded illegal vendors and recently the city council municipal police came and took away everything I was selling. Most of vendors who operate at this area fled with their wares but because of my condition, I could not run away. Municipality police could not spare me though as everything was confiscated.”
Chiguri says vending on the streets was increasingly getting tough even to able bodied as they tussle for clients amongst themselves.
“Sometimes they fight for clients but some of us who are disabled will be watching as we patiently keep our fingers crossed for clients. The challenge is that there are many of us vending on the streets now such that many a time people in my condition who sell their wares while seated are hardly seen.
“This is why you see these days even some of the able bodied vendors have resorted to vending in the middle of the road,” he said.
Chiguri says disabled street vendors once met with Senator Annah Shiri who represents the disabled people in parliament and told her their plight. He says Senator Shiri promised to take their case to Harare City Council but they were still to get feedback from her.
Sen Shiri confirmed that she drove around Harare, Central Business District sometime early this year to get first hand experiences faced by disabled vendors on the streets.
“It was my personal initiative to drive around the CBD meeting disabled vendors. Their problems and challenges were largely the same.
“They all acknowledged the unfair competition they were facing from rival vendors and asked to be allocated their designated place to conduct their vending activities. I have since taken their issue to the parliament and am also engaging Harare City Council on how best to accommodate disabled vendors,” said Sen Shiri who is also living with disability after her leg had to be amputated following a horrific accident.
Sen Shiri says there were a lot of issues that the society needs to do to accommodate disabled people including even changing the designs of all buildings and pavements.