Some vendors operating in Harare’s central business district (CBD) have reportedly been storing their products, which include perishable items like vegetables, bottled water, and soft drinks, inside public toilet facilities overnight. They then proceed to sell these same products to unsuspecting consumers the following day.
Some vendors operating in Harare’s central business district (CBD) have reportedly been storing their products, which include perishable items like vegetables, bottled water, and soft drinks, inside public toilet facilities overnight. They then proceed to sell these same products to unsuspecting consumers the following day.
According to a recent report by NewsDay, the vendors allegedly pay fees of up to US$5 to Harare City Council caretakers, who in turn permit them to keep these foodstuffs stored in the toilet facilities overnight, ostensibly for safekeeping.
A council caretaker who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity said their arrangement with vendors is a win-win one. Said the caretaker:
W
e usually collect up to US$5 per night depending on the stock and sometimes they give us tomatoes or vegetables equivalent to US$2.
We use that money for transport to and from work because our salary is too little to take us for a month. Besides transport, we can also buy bread going home.Sometimes a vendor can opt to give you vegetables, tomatoes or fruits as
In Zimbabwe, the informal sector, including street vendors, makes up a significant portion of economic activity in urban areas like Harare.
Estimates suggest hundreds of thousand
