The government has imposed operating hours for all legally registered vendors, limiting trading in central business districts to between 6am and 6pm and in residential areas to between 6am and 8pm.
The new rule, which takes immediate effect, was announced by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Tafadzwa Muguti, in Harare on Thursday.
Under the directive, no vending will be permitted in any CBD after 6 pm, while vending in residential communities — including high-density suburbs — will not be allowed after 8 pm.
“With immediate effect, vending within all central business districts is now limited between 6 am and 6 pm. That is vending within any business district across all 92 local authorities,” Muguti said.
“Vending within residential communities will be allowed from 6 am to 8 pm. After 6 pm, we don’t expect to see anyone vending within any business district.
“And after 8 pm, we don’t expect to see any vending within residential communities, that includes high-density suburbs.”
Muguti said the hours are aligned to the existing business licensing regime. Most shop licences and business permits expire at 8 pm, and the vending window is intended to bring street trading into line with formal retail.
“That is in line also with business permits — be it shops which are operating. Business permits end at 8 pm,” he said.
“So after 8 pm, you will find that unless your business licence says otherwise, we do not want to see anyone trading.
“Any vending places or anyone who is doing any trading after 6 pm, we do not want to see any of those who have been allowed to do vending within designated places. This applies countrywide.”
The directive applies only to legally registered vendors operating in designated sites. It does not regularise illegal vending.
Even vendors who have been formally allocated space in CBDs and suburbs must cease trading outside the prescribed hours.
Source: Govt imposes vending curfew countrywide, no vending within CBDs after 6 PM ⋆ Pindula News
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