By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Masvingo – Informal traders have pleaded for better conditions at their workspaces in the central business district.
This follows clashes between informal traders and the police who accuse the former of conducting illegal operations.
The majority of citizens rely on informal trading to earn a living and not all of them were allocated market spaces by Masvingo City Council.
Speaking to Bustop TV informal traders expressed fear over the continued harassment from the ZRP and council.
”Speaking on behalf of other women, we got to stay on the high alert as we fear being arrested or having our goods being taken away. We are begging the council to allocate more space as there are a lot of open and vacant spaces in the City but still the police chase us away from those areas indicating that we should go the legal sites that were built for us which cannot cater for all of us.
“The government should work on making our working conditions as informal traders’ conducive, everyone is in the race of making money, we are not in town for fun,” said one Blantina Ruzvidzo.
Renting fees pegged by council are iit of reach of many traders who have resorted to selling their products in town where it’s ‘free’
“The City Council must let us operate freely in the streets without chasing us away or give us space to operate from the open and vacant spaces in town. Selling from home is not viable as fewer profits are generated as compared to selling in the CBD as one in town is guaranteed something at the end of the day,” said Tanaka Chikore.
The Covid -19 pandemic further threatened livelihoods which had already been affected by the deteriorating economy.
