The Harare City Council (HCC) workers backed by armed policemen Saturday demolished hundreds of market stalls belonging to informal traders without permission in Mbare, one of the capital’s oldest suburbs.
This follows an ultimatum issued by the Provincial Development Coordinator for Harare, Tafadzwa Muguti on June 3, 2021.
The demolitions were most concentrated at the popular Mupedzanhamo Flea Market area where hundreds of informal traders operate from selling mostly second-hand clothes smuggled from Mozambique.
Footages and shots of the wreckage have gone viral on social media platforms.
Acting Harare Mayor, Councillor Stewart Mutizwa (MDC-T) justified the ongoing demolitions. He said
No more room for illegal operations in Harare. We are going to remove every illegal settlement and every illegal operation. It is not only on the roadsides but everywhere with illegal operations. We will be controlling them and removing them.
