I urge you as vendors to be alert and vigilant. Never allow the abuse of your sector by criminal elements and drug kingpins.

Mnangagwa also urged vendors to cease night trading and to conduct their activities in an orderly manner. He said:

We must have order, and as responsible citizens, we must never gloss over this matter. We must be honest that we cannot let the state of our country degenerate right under our eyes.

Earlier this month, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe directed informal vendors to vacate unregulated trading areas and stop night trading. However, many vendors have disregarded the directive.

Mnangagwa also said his government’s efforts to formalise the sector should not be viewed as a direct threat to their livelihoods. He said:

However, there have been some worrisome trends affecting the sector, and if left unchecked, they will have dire ripple effects on our country, overshadowing the important role of this critical sector.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe echoed Mnangagwa’s warning against night vending.

He added that his ministry would take a leading role in holding local authorities accountable for mistreating vendors. He added:

The people who are night vending are creating fertile ground for drug and substance abuse activities. These same people are also facilitating the distribution of counterfeit products, which are sold at night and find their way into people’s homes, further exacerbating health concerns.

Lovemore Mudzoki, Secretary of the Tuckshops Association, said they are not involved in the demonstrations called by Geza, as these protests disrupt their activities.

More: ZimLive