CommuTalk Reporter
GWERU – Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) says it will soon drag state security sector personnel who stole informal sector wares during the COVID 19 lockdown.
Speaking during a meeting on how informal traders and residents are coping during the lockdown, VISET executive director Samuel Wadzayi said vendors complained that they were unfairly losing their wares to state security personnel and municipal police who go on and convert to own use.
Wadzayi said although they do not condone illegal activities, it was unfair for security personnel to confiscate vendors’ goods without following procedures.
“Vendors are losing their goods to security personnel and we would want to call upon government or local authorities to follow by laws and laid down procedures when goods are confiscated.
“We have challenged police action in Mutare when farmers’ produce was burnt and if there is no recourse on this instance we will take legal action as we have done before,” he said.
Wadzayi also said they were worried by government delay to cushion vendors with COVID 19 allowances.
“We are worried that the ZWL $200 promised has been eroded by inflation and we call upon government not to only revise the figure but to also put it to United States dollars,” he said.
A number of vendors during the meeting complained on how security personnel confiscate their goods for personnel use.
“Police just loot even innocent people’s groceries in the name of dispersing vendors. We had to threaten to beat them up one day as they tried to take a fellow ladies groceries in her absence supposing that they were goods belonging to a vendor,” said Gweru vendor’s association vice-president; Angeline Venganai.
Vendors also claimed that they had some of their products stolen during the initial 21 day lock down period at Kudzanayi rank before government ordered that market stalls would be destroyed therefore they should collect their goods.
