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Nyasha Weluzani  Herald Reporter
Harare City Council has registered 2 133 vendors who will be allocated vending stalls in the Central Business District as a way of reducing overcrowding and illegal activities.
The registration exercise, which is free, began on August 22 and ends tomorrow after which the city will immediately start allocations on the designated vending sites.

The city council said in a statement yesterday that only registered vendors would be allowed to conduct business in the city centre.
“Harare City recognises the important role played by the informal sector in the national economy, especially during this period when our economy is hard pressed for jobs,” said the city council.

“It is that honest acceptance that the informal sector is a vital cog in job creation and self-sustenance that we are taking measures to promote our informal sector.”
According to the city council, vending fees will be used to provide shelter to the vendors in line with council’s policy of providing decent vending places for its residents.

The city council advised associations who wanted to levy vendors to do so through monthly membership subscriptions and not on a daily basis.
“It has come to the attention of the city authorities that some associations are charging the vendors US$10 daily under the guise of providing them with a table,” said the council.

“The responsibility to provide trading space, sheds and tables remains with the city and will be achieved through the vending fees payable for each vending category.”

The city council called on vendors to take advantage of the remaining few days to register, with each vendor to be restricted to a particular vending site.
“There will be no multiple stallholders to avoid issues of subletting, racketeering and profiteering,” said the city council. “Registration will allow the city to allocate each vendor with a registration number and a vending slot at the designated vending points in the CBD.”

Flea market operators will pay US$3 daily for trading space, while fruit, vegetable, airtime, dried foods and newspaper vendors pay US$1.
Areas earmarked for vending sites are Fourth Street (flea market, fruits and vegetables and dried foods), Charge Office ZRP (flea market), Charge Office Vegetable Market (dried foods, fruits and vegetables), corner Julius Nyerere Way and Kenneth Kaunda Avenue (flea market), Market Square (flea market and dried foods), corner Speke Avenue and Cameroon Street (flea market), George Silundika Avenue (flea market on Sundays only), Park Street (flea market ad dried foods), corner Speke Avenue and Cameroon Street (vegetable market), and OK Cameroon (fruit and vegetables).