Staff Writer
The Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust (ZNOART) has thrown its weight behind the Government’s Chenesa Harare Final initiative, saying efforts to restore order, cleanliness and safety in the capital should be supported by residents, vendors and other stakeholders.
ZNOART National Chairman Shepherd Shalvar Chikomba accompanied Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe during the launch of the initiative, which is aimed at restoring order and cleanliness in Harare.
In a statement issued on Thursday, ZNOART said clean, orderly and functional cities were essential to improving the quality of life for residents while creating a safer environment for businesses and communities.
“ZNOART welcomes this initiative and believes that the restoration of clean, orderly and functional cities is critical to improving the quality of life for residents and creating a safe environment for businesses and communities,” the organisation said.
The organisation also welcomed indications that the initiative would be extended to other cities and towns across Zimbabwe.
ZNOART urged vendors operating from undesignated areas to cooperate with Government and local authorities by moving to legally designated trading spaces.
The residents’ body said vendors should approach their respective local authorities to establish the availability of designated trading spaces and make arrangements for peaceful and lawful relocation.
“Vendors are law-abiding citizens. They are not looking for confrontation or disorder. They simply want to earn a living, support their families and contribute to Zimbabwe’s economy,” ZNOART said.
However, the organisation warned that relocation would only succeed if designated markets were affordable, accessible and economically viable.
It called on local authorities to provide sufficient trading spaces, reasonable market fees, adequate water and ablution facilities, proper waste-management systems, good customer access, lighting and security.
ZNOART also urged authorities to consult residents and vendors when planning and allocating trading spaces, warning against the establishment of markets that could eventually become underutilized “white-elephant” facilities.
“A market may be physically available, but if customers cannot access it, vendors cannot afford the fees, or there are inadequate basic services, relocation will not provide a sustainable solution,” the organisation said.
It said the country needed a practical approach that integrated informal traders into an orderly, sustainable and productive urban economy rather than simply moving them from one location to another.
Harare urged to lead
ZNOART said Harare, as the country’s capital and national commercial centre, should set the benchmark for clean, modern, safe and well-managed cities.
“Building world-class cities requires cooperation among Government, local authorities, residents, vendors, businesses and other stakeholders,” the organisation said.
ZNOART commended the Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, and Minister Garwe for responding to challenges facing urban areas.
The organisation said the Chenesa Harare Final programme presented an opportunity to build a cleaner, more organised and functional capital city.
National Residents and Vendors Indaba planned
Meanwhile, ZNOART said it had approached the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to facilitate a National Residents and Vendors Indaba, which is expected to be held in the coming weeks.
The proposed indaba is expected to bring together Government, local authorities, residents and vendors to discuss practical and sustainable solutions to challenges affecting urban communities and informal traders.
Issues expected to be discussed include designated vendor markets, vendor relocation, demolitions and relocation processes, land allocation, illegal land deals, market affordability and viability, service delivery and the development of clean, safe and smart cities.
ZNOART said it also intends to submit a comprehensive position paper on the state of service delivery and the development of smart cities to the Ministry.
The organisation said the paper would capture the concerns and recommendations of residents and vendors, with the broader objective of developing cities that are “clean, orderly, inclusive, affordable, safe and smart”.
ZNOART said Government intervention, coupled with meaningful engagement with residents and vendors and the provision of viable alternatives, could provide a lasting solution to the challenges confronting Zimbabwe’s urban areas.
“We want our cities clean. We want our cities orderly. We want our cities functional. We want our cities safe. And we want to develop our country together as Zimbabweans,” ZNOART said.
The organisation urged vendors and residents to cooperate peacefully with local authorities and make use of designated trading facilities as the Government moves to restore order in urban centres.