As you probably know, the Zimbabwean economy is not doing too well right now. It hasn’t been doing well ever since the GNU ended and prior to the GNU government it wasn’t doing well either. A lot of people lost formal employment during the 2008 crisis. At one point the unemployment levels went as high as 90%. To survive most people went into informal trading.

Instead of supporting them and working with them to formalise, both the national and local governments have simply unleashed the police against them. Vendors are often chased away, harrassed by the police and their wares are often forcibly taken. This is so sad given how people’s livelihoods are at stake during this COVID pandemic.

Now the Chitungwiza Municipality has issued a warning saying that they will be going after informal traders in the city: