Vendors’ Rights Group Condemns Violence by Municipal Officers Against Vendors

The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the socio-economic rights of all vendors in Zimbabwe, has strongly denounced the latest violence perpetrated by the Harare City Council Municipal Police against vendors.

This condemnation comes in the wake of a video that went viral on social media, which depicted council officers forcibly dragging and physically assaulting a vendor, even after confiscating the vendor’s goods.

In response to this disturbing incident, VISET issued a statement expressing their profound concern.

The organization emphasized that such acts of violence underscore the ongoing challenges faced by informal economy workers at the hands of both municipal authorities and the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

“What particularly irks us as an organization is that this is but one example of the harrowing existence of informal economy workers at the hands of both municipal and Zimbabwe Republic Police, with many not having recourse to justice when unjustifiably getting their goods confiscated, in contravention of their constitutional rights,” VIST said.

Many vendors are being unjustly deprived of their goods without any avenue for seeking justice, in clear violation of their constitutional rights.

VISET further warned municipal and law enforcement agents that any future instances of excessive use of force will not go unpunished. They asserted that legal action will be pursued against individuals or groups involved in such misconduct, and urged authorities to refrain from criminalizing the act of survival.

“We wish to put on notice municipal and other law enforcement agents that acts of disproportionate application of force will be rewarded with legal ramifications both individually and collectively, do not criminalize survival!,” the organization warned the Municipality Police.

Throughout the country, vendors have frequently been subjected to police brutality as they strive to earn a livelihood amidst a challenging economic climate. The plight of these vendors serves as a stark reminder of the need for greater protection and respect for the rights of informal workers in Zimbabwe.