The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) warmly welcomes the announcement by the Chairperson of the Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Committee, Councillor Denford Ngadziore, that the City of Harare has resolved to ring-fence a quarter of the revenue collected from trading markets for infrastructure development in markets and vending sites across the city.
This is a progressive and commendable policy decision that demonstrates the City’s commitment to improving the working environment of informal economy workers, who constitute a significant component of Harare’s economy and provide essential goods and services to residents on a daily basis.
VISET is particularly pleased because this development is in line with the provisions and aspirations of the Harare Informal Economy Policy, which was adopted by the City of Harare following an extensive consultative process involving key stakeholders, including informal economy associations, civil society organisations, development partners and council officials. As an organisation that actively participated in the development of the policy, VISET views this announcement as an important step towards the implementation of policy commitments that seek to create a more inclusive, productive and sustainable urban economy.
For many years, informal traders have contributed significantly to council revenues through market fees, rentals and other levies. However, concerns have often been raised regarding the state of infrastructure in markets and vending sites, including inadequate sanitation facilities, poor drainage systems, lack of shelter, insufficient water supply, poor waste management and limited access to electricity. Ring-fencing a portion of the revenue generated from these sites ensures that traders can directly benefit from the resources they contribute and promotes accountability in the utilisation of public funds.
VISET believes that investment in market infrastructure is not merely a matter of improving physical structures; it is an investment in livelihoods, public health, urban resilience and local economic development. Better infrastructure creates safer and more dignified working conditions, enhances compliance with municipal regulations, improves hygiene standards and contributes to increased productivity among traders.
We further commend the leadership shown by the SMEs Committee and City Council in recognising the importance of reinvesting revenues into the informal economy. Such measures strengthen trust between local authorities and informal economy workers and contribute to building constructive partnerships necessary for effective urban governance.
VISET encourages the City of Harare to ensure that the implementation of this initiative is transparent, participatory and guided by the priorities of traders themselves. Meaningful engagement with market committees, trader associations and representative organisations will be critical in identifying infrastructure needs and ensuring that investments deliver maximum impact.
The organisation also calls upon other local authorities across Zimbabwe to draw lessons from this important initiative and adopt similar approaches that recognise informal economy workers as key economic actors whose contributions deserve corresponding investments in infrastructure and services.
As VISET, we remain committed to supporting the implementation of the Harare Informal Economy Policy and working collaboratively with the City of Harare, informal economy organisations and other stakeholders to advance policies and programmes that promote decent work, economic inclusion and sustainable urban development.
We congratulate the City of Harare on this important milestone and look forward to seeing tangible improvements in markets and vending sites that will benefit thousands of traders and their families.
Issued by:
Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET)
