Despite an increase in cases of Covid-19, which now exceed 2000, vendors in Harare’s Central Business District have vowed to stay put.
A recent survey has indicated that most vendors are playing a cat-and-mouse game with Municipality Police as they try to put food on the table.
Informal traders typically do not have any other source of income besides their small trading activities in high traffic areas such as the CBD.
Several vendors could be seen selling fruits and other wares along Nelson Mandela Avenue, Robert Mugabe, Jason Moyo, while even more were concerntrated at Copacabana bus terminus where most people board public buses.
The increase in the number of vendors in the CBD has been a worrisome development as most of them do not observe the lockdown guidelines and have no safe areas to carry out their activities.
Joshua Phiri, an illegal vendor, said he will not leave the streets as this is his only source of income.
“I really understand the dangers of Covid-19 and its devastating impact, but I am caught in between dying of the virus or of hunger,” he said.
“As a father of three l can’t wake up everyday and watch my children dying of hunger, l would rather risk my life trying to put something on the table for my family to at least have a meal a day.”
Phiri added that government should view vending is a lifeline of many people and consider putting in place flexible laws that will allow vendors to operate.
“As you can see the situation has given birth to a new breed of vendors who sale at the boot of their cars and for us who push are not that rich we are losing out.
“Since almost everyone is now a vendor, the government can copy the Indian style and allow us to work for certain hours without disturbances and we go home so that we at least put food on the table,” he said.
Most locals could be seen buying from illegal vendors without putting into consideration social distancing among other protective things.
They highlighted that it has become a tricky situation as most retail outlets were have been closed with some having recorded incidences of Covid-19.
“Personally l feel safe and free to buy from these vendors, if you notice they have their masks on and are cautious of the virus as much as lam hence we trade with a lot of caution.
“With the recent developments wereby retail outlets like Pick n Pay are closing l feel that lam safer this way because l don’t have too much contact with people and there is no way people will crowd a vendor like we do in retail shops many of which do not have aircon,” said Portia Gozho of Warren Park.
Police who are visible in the city have called for co-operation with the public if the country is to successfully combat this global pandemic.