Ayesha Nyanzunda
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has strongly opposed the recent directive by the Ministry of Local Government banning the importation and sale of second-hand clothing, along with all street vending and night vending activities in Zimbabwe’s urban centres.
In a statement released Tuesday, CHRA described the move as “deeply concerning,” warning that it violates constitutional principles of devolution by bypassing the authority of the City of Harare. “This intervention by the Ministry of Local Government is a clear reflection of the failure of the implementation of devolution within the local authority. The decision was made from an autocratic position,” the statement read.
Harare residents’ resort to night vending to avoid a cat and mouse game with the municipality police.
CHRA insisted that the City of Harare should operate independently in line with Section 264 of the Constitution, which calls for the devolution of government powers to ensure democratic participation and efficient local service delivery.
The residents’ association further defended the critical role of informal traders, arguing that the informal sector has long complemented the formal economy through round-the-clock economic activity in Central Business Districts (CBDs). It warned that the sudden clampdown threatens livelihoods in a country where a large portion of the population relies on vending and second-hand clothing trade to survive.
“We are worried over the continued attack on livelihoods as the economy of Zimbabwe is highly informal and residents fully depend on vending. We reiterate that the economy has compromised the informal traders within the city,” CHRA stated.
United Alliance of Zimbabwe president Elisabeth Valerio also criticized the ban, saying while the intention to restore order in urban centers is understandable, the government must respond with “empathy, common sense, and realism.” She warned that cutting off informal avenues of survival without providing alternatives would not only deepen poverty but also increase the risk of crime as desperate citizens search for ways to make ends meet.
UZA president, Elisabeth Valerio.
Valerio noted that second-hand clothing markets like Mupedzanhamo and informal trading hubs across towns such as Masvingo, Kwekwe, and Kadoma have long been lifelines for struggling families. She argued that criminalising informal trading without addressing the root causes of poverty is “not policy—it’s cruelty masked as governance.”
CHRA also cited the lack of proper and affordable vending spaces in urban areas as a key issue, urging authorities to carry out a detailed investigation into the socio-economic drivers of informal trade and the human cost of the ban.
The residents’ association issued a three-point call to action, urging:
- The devolution of power to local authorities in accordance with the Constitution;
- The involvement of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises in policymaking that affects informal traders;
- Direct engagement with informal traders to incorporate their lived experiences and input into urban policy.
CHRA concluded by warning that the new measures pose a “serious area of concern” and risk plunging already vulnerable urban communities into deeper poverty and exclusion.
