IN the complex routes of the Harare city’s informal economy, a silent war is being waged.
Armed not with guns or machetes, but smartphones and a shared sense of survival, a community of street vendors is fighting back against the relentless tide of the clampdown.
The weapon of choice: WhatsApp groups.
With the city council launching an operation targeted at getting rid of illegal vendors ahead of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Heads of State and Government Summit slated for August 17, hawkers in Harare have found a lifeline in technology.
The WhatsApp group named Vendor Nyumwawo (Vendor Suspect) is a room of activity, a constant buzz of alerts, warnings and strategies usually sent in voice notes.
The group has more than 1 000 members who are committed to sharing updates about the municipal police location.
Every morning, vendors set up their stalls as their eyes pry nervously, with the possibility of losing their stock to the council police looming large, a ghost haunting their livelihoods.
“You have to constantly check your WhatsApp so that you won’t miss each and every update,” says Mai Beans*, a seasoned vendor who has been making ends meet on the streets for over a decade.
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“We have to be very alert, always on the lookout, which is why this group is so important. I make sure I have data all the time so that I stay up to date.
“Usually, they start in Harare CBD, branching out to industries and then suburbs. So, now it becomes difficult for the municipal police to confiscate our stock because the moment we see the signal in our WhatsApp group, we rush to hide our wares.”
Mai Beans, with her eyes glued to her smartphone, further tells NewsDay Weekender: “Honestly this is frustrating, we cannot stop our daily routine of surviving just because of this coming Sadc summit.”
Another vendor in Graniteside industrial area adds: “This WhatsApp group is helping us and I suspect some council workers have joined the group to spy on us. Yesterday, the group admin[istrator] removed six numbers suspected to be of council police.”
As the Sadc summit draws closer, the city council, working closely with the government, is eager to present a clean and orderly image to the Sadc delegates.
The vendors, in turn, are becoming more vigilant as their digital network grows stronger.
But council spokesperson Stanley Gama says the council has been doing similar operations since the beginning of this year.
He says it is the duty of municipal police to get rid of illegal vendors to improve the status of the city.
“This operation is not directly linked to the Sadc Summit preparations, though some of the activities have been implemented to create a good environment for the coming summit,” he said.
“The council will continue carrying out such operations even after the Sadc summit. However, those who paid for their vending licences should continue to operate within their designated areas.”
Concerned about the safety of members of his association, Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation director Samuel Wadzai tells NewsDay Weekender that the city fathers should provide sufficient vending sites to avoid measures that put the lives and livelihoods of vendors at risk.
“Running battles have proved to be a waste of time. It’s now time we develop sustainable solutions to the challenges of informal trading and street vending in Zimbabwe,” he said.
“We are ready to engage with local authorities to find a lasting solution to these and other challenges.”
Vendors have perfected a system of coded messages, using slang to convey urgent information.
Ngwara Mbare, for instance, signifies a council police patrol heading to the named area.
The constant threat of losing their wares to council police, coupled with the harsh economic conditions, has forced many a vendor to live on the edge.
Despite sending out warnings, the WhatsApp groups have also become a source of both practical and emotional support. It’s a place where they share tips on escaping the authorities.
A flurry of messages alert members to an impending raid and in a matter of minutes, stalls are dismantled and wares cleared before the vendors disappear into thin air.
The council has revealed that nearly 100 000 registered vendors operate in Harare and they believe there are more unregistered vendors across the city.
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat)’s latest figures revealed that only 46,3% of Zimbabwe’s working age population are employed.
In its 2023 4th Quarter Labour Force Survey report, ZimStat disclosed that the working age population was 8 639 522, of0 which 4 003 121 were in active employment.
However, government critic and economist Gift Mugano says the dilemma can only be solved by establishing a highly productive economy which creates jobs and business opportunities for small-to-medium enterprises.
He says the majority of people who are in the business of vending are victims of poor policy framework and broken political environment.
“We must mend our politics and create a conducive business environment for everyone,” Mugano adds.
In all that, the war for survival continues, with WhatsApp messages chiming on the phones one after another.
