Grace Mugabe challenges Chombo

Three days ago NewsDay published the story below.......:

Chombo declares war on illegal vendors, kombis

 

LOCAL Government minister Ignatius Chombo yesterday declared war on illegal vendors who do not want to go to designated selling points.
BY FELUNA NLEYA
Chombo said this in Harare during the launch of a clean-up campaign which was also attended by his Environment, Water and Climate counterpart. Saviour Kasukuwere and Harare Provincial Affairs minister Miriam Chikukwa.

Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba was also present.
Chombo said Harare City Council had tried in vain to have vendors go to designated sites. “Your associations have communicated this to you and it is with great concern that I have learnt that some of you have decided to take the law into their own hands by defying the directives,” he said.

Local Goverment Minister Ignatious Chombo

“The time for action to ensure that all informal traders and kombi operators adhere to the city by-laws has come. I urge all of you to move to designated vending sites as well pick and drop points for kombis designated by the city council. 

“There should be no vending on road pavements, traffic intersections, road islands, middle of the road and in front of shops and offices.”

Kasukuwere said the campaign marked the beginning of a collective effort to bring back Harare’s Sunshine City status.

“I warn all perpetrators of environmental offences that we will not be bystanders, but actors in bringing environmental sanity and there are no sacred cows in that regard. As a ministry, we will use all the environmental statutory provisions at our disposal to ensure that a clean, safe and healthy environment is attained,” he said.

Chinotimba pledged to clear garbage in Mbare where thousands of residents were being exposed to diseases.

...........yesterday, Nehanda Radio published the following story:

Grace, Chombo on collision path

By Margaret Chinowaita
HARARE – President Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace has stuck to her guns on vendors — maintaining that the police should not force them out from the streets — effectively setting herself on a collision path with Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo who recently declared war on street hawkers.

First Lady Grace Mugabe

As she launched the International Women’s Day yesterday, the increasingly influential First Lady said the police should not employ heavy-handed tactics when dealing with vendors — who are desperately eking a living on the streets.

This comes as the ever-increasing numbers of vendors on the streets is presenting a big problem for councils
 — with Chombo recently declaring that government will soon clean up the streets to bring order.

Yesterday, at a local hotel in Harare, Grace however, said the police should leave the vendors to do their business.

“However, I want to urge government to ensure that a conducive environment is put in place for women’s involvement in different sectors this should include women vendors who are subjected to all kinds of ill treatment.

“Mapurisa (Police), mapurisa please, mapurisa, probably you were able to go to school and attested in the police force because your mother was selling tomatoes to pay your school fees,” said Grace.


Grace said the police should henceforth stop the practice of confiscating wares they would have raided from desperate vendors.

“Ngatiregerei kutorera vanhu zvinhu zvavo, ndakati kana vasiri kutengesera mumadesignated places taurai navo zvakanaka havarambi. Kana muine nzara musina matomatoes kweretai chikwereti hachirambwi, nekuti matomatoes iwayo amuri kutora nezvimwe zvamunenge muchitora kana zvakunzi chiburitsai tione munenge musina zvichinzi zvakaora. Isu tinenge tatorerwa zvinhu zvedu zvichinzi zvakaora tiratidzei zvakangoora kudaro. Ngatiregei kudarano veduwe tiri kutsvaga kurarama.

(Police you should desist from taking away goods from vendors. Sometimes if they are perishable goods you say they are rotten when they demand that you return them. You should return the goods even if they are rotten. If it is an issue of designated selling points you should talk to them they will not refuse.)

Almost giving orders to the police, Mugabe’s wife said the law enforcement agents should respect vendors.
“Vazvinzwa vakuru vemapurisa vagere pamberi apo, (Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity) Mai Charamba nevamwe vavo vazvinzwa. Mazvinzwa mhamha handiti.” (The police bigwigs seated in the front row have understood me.).

“The participation of women in politics and decision-making is a fundamental pre-requisite for gender equality and women empowerment,” said Grace.

“I firmly believe that eradication of poverty and economic empowerment of women as enunciated in the Beijing Declaration are the chief anchors for achieving gender equality,” she added.

A grovelling Chris Mushowe, who is the acting minister of Women Affairs and Gender Development, said the path for women is going to be easier with Grace’s entry into mainstream politics as Zanu PF secretary for women’s affairs. Daily News

I would love to see my country's streets and avenues very clean and in order (vendors and kombis operating from their legally designated places) and at the same time I would like to see Zimbabweans earning a decent living in which ever ways that are not illegal. Before I take Chombo's side I would like to find out first if there are enough designated places for vendors and kombi drivers to operate from in this country. For now I am just sensing tension between Chombo and the First Lady concerning the issue in question. The First Lady has challenged the Local Government minister and she has saved the vendors and kombi operators.