The logical assumption behind the CBD clean-up campaign: anti-street vendors and the SADC Summit.

Azon Twala

Zimbabwe will host the 44th SAD Summit in August with the theme "Promoting Innovation to Unlock Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development Towards an Industrialized SADC." Zimbabwe is expected to be a model for economic growth and development, poverty reduction, and political and regional cooperation. So far, preparations have primarily focused on speed infrastructure development, such as roads, hotels, airports, and street lights, particularly in the CBD, where street vending is common. 

The government has not hesitated to upgrade antiquated infrastructure at the expense of street vendors. Human rights violations are prevalent during the process of removing street vendors from the CBD. To understand the logical assumption behind their removal, street vendors in Harare should be defined in the CBD. 

Harare Street Vendors are men and women who live in impoverished conditions due to a lack of formal employment. The CBD indeed serves as their primary location for profitable business operations. These vendors selling vegetables, second-hand clothes, and groceries occupy every space in the CBD daily, like a swarm of angry bees. In other words, CBD is the primary source of their income due to its convenience in their trade. In this regard, it is worth noting that the government views the CBD as a magnet for government and elite investment. That is why the city council has bylaws based on government directives. Thus, it has never been easy for Harare Street Vendors to operate in the CBD due to frequent arrests and inhumane removals carried out to protect elite interests and the CBD's reputation.

The 44th SADC Summit has heightened the government's interest in Harare Street Vendors from the Central Business District. A docile person on the streets of Harare might believe that the goal of this CBD clean-up campaign is to spruce up the city to please the international visitors who are expected to attend the summit. However, it is worth noting that this clean-up campaign, primarily in the form of anti-anti-vendors, goes beyond the concept of a clean environment for visitors. On that note, it should be noted that the campaign is political, as it both saves and serves the interests of the ruling elite. 

The government is aware of the political philosophy in light of political rumours that protests against the government's incompetent and corrupt rule are expected to erupt during the summit. Traditionally, the CBD has been a natural location for protests in any country, as well as a source of government power and influence. 

Above all, protests are motivated by the number of people present, particularly those who are already in and have access to the CBD. Assuming the rumour or anticipation is true, this means that protests will be possible, given that the streets of Harare are constantly occupied by civilians engaged in informal and hand-to-mouth trade who are naturally anti-government. The government, on the other hand, considers them chaotic and disorderly. As a result, Zimbabwe is engaging in shameful behaviour in front of visitors. As a result, there is a desire to eliminate crowds in the streets before and during the Summit. 

Anti-government accounts have coordinated the rumours or anticipation of protests on the X (Twitter) platform in August. The expression has been linked to current Kenyan protests, with the wishful thinking being that these protests will spread to the Southern Region. This has caused panic, as evidenced by government-sponsored accounts on the same platforms warning against any form of protest. Furthermore, the mainstream media, which is biased toward the ruling government, has expressed the same sentiments of intimidating anyone planning a protest. This warning is being issued specifically for the summit. 

The CBD is now heavily patrolled by state police. These officers include both uniformed and non-uniformed individuals known as "Civi police." The City Council Police, or "boys and girls in blue overalls," have been added to the state police. As a result, there has been an increase in street vendor arrests. This clearly shows that the so-called clean-up campaign is more than just an attempt to restore order in the CBD; it is also an attempt to protect power and legitimize government relevance. Anti-vendor is an ongoing process that aims to reduce the number of people who will be present in the CBD in August. There will be fewer people on the streets of the CBD, making it easier to put down any form of protest. In other words, to avoid anti-government protests, the government is afraid of large crowds on the streets. As a result, Harare street vendors pose a threat. 

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