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5 Wemberly Crescent Eastlea Harare

Call Us: +263 772968307 (Mon - Sat)

Mail us for help: info@visetonline.org

5 Wemberly Crescent Eastlea Harare

Blog Standard

14 Jun 24

VISET Launches Time Survey Report for Informal Sector Workers in Zimbabwe

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) launched its Time Use Survey Report of Informal Sector Workers in Zimbabwe on June 14, 2024. The report, which is part of the Valuing Women’s Work project, unpacked findings from research done between November and December 2023, covering 10 locations in Zimbabwe,…

07 May 24

VISET Meets Min of Labour’s Department of Employment Creation

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) recently met with officials from the Department of Employment Creation under the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. The delegation was led by the Deputy Director Research and Economic Affairs Mr. Sam Hobwani and Dereck Nhema an officer in the…

01 May 24

VISET Workers Day Statement

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins the nation and the rest of the progressive world in commemorating Workers Day, who’s 2024 theme is “Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing environment.” In Zimbabwe, the day was gazetted as a holiday in April 1980, with the then…

30 Apr 24

Goromonzi Valuing Women’s Work – VISET Success Story

Mary Nyadome is an informal trader operating in Ward 17 Majuru area of Goromonzi District, a peri-urban settlement, some 37 kilometres away from the capital Harare. Mary is a wife and mother to 3 boys who has been the family breadwinner since her husband was retrenched from the company he…

30 Apr 24

Valuing Women’s Work – VISET Binga Success Story

Siansundu in Binga North District, 433 kilometres from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. The area is a rural district, and has largely been neglected by way of development over the years. Roads in the district are mostly gravel and become impassable during the rainy season. The community is Tonga speaking…

18 Apr 24

VISET Independence Day Statement

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins the nation in celebrating our 44th Independence anniversary. This year’s celebration is being held under the theme Zim@44: Unity, Peace and Development Towards Vision 2030”, with the main event being at Murambinda, Buhera. Ours is a nation that was birthed following…

08 Mar 24

VISET International Women’s Day Statement – Count Her in: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress

As we celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day under the theme Count her in: Invest in Women Accelerate progress, we are sending heartfelt wishes to all the exceptional women informal economy workers (IEW) the world over. We stand in solidarity with you as we strive for a future where all…

03 Mar 24

Mining Brings Disruption to Goromonzi Farmers

Goromonzi horticultural farmers say mining activities being undertaken by Platinum Lithium Zimbabwe (PLZ) has brought significant disruption to their daily lives. This emerged during a listening meeting conducted by Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) at Yafeli Village, Ward 17 Goromonzi District. Small-scale horticultural farmers said the district…

19 Feb 24

VISET joins Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission ESCR Working Group

On February 16, 2024, Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) held a meeting with representatives from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC). The purpose of the meeting was to identify stakeholders who would be part in the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR) working group. The ZHRC is…

20 Jan 24

VISET Response to New Tollgates – It’s Time for Compassion!

At a time, the nation is still reeling from the new tax regimes that are a product of the 2024 national budget presentation, more misery was in store, with the gazetting of the new toll fees, AND the clandestine addition of a new tollgate just before Chivhu and another one…

03 Jan 24

Anti-People Taxes Now in Full Swing: – VISET urges Government to Prioritize the Vulnerable

As the nation starts getting back to business, we are confronted with the gazetting of tax proposals as contained in the national budget that was hastily passed by Parliament in December 2023. These measures, as we previously stated in our response (https://visetonline.org/viset-statement-on-the-2023-budget/ ) are an attack on the ordinary Zimbabwean’s…

We All Have A Role To Play In Stopping Cholera!

November 22, 2023

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) takes note of comments by the Minister of Health and Child Care in a post cabinet briefing on November 21 2023, pertaining to vendors operating in Harare. The capital city’s suburbs and districts around the country are currently struggling to deal with…

19 Sep 23

Operation ‘Tame The Traffic Jungle’ – A Huge Inconvenience to Informal Traders – VISET

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) takes note of the ongoing Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national operation Tame The Traffic Jungle. The operation which began on 12 September and is scheduled to run until 26 September according to a circular, and involves other state agencies such as Vehicle…

09 Aug 23

Towards a Speedy and Inclusive Actualisation of the Formalisation Strategy for Zimbabwe

By Samuel Wadzai – Informal Economy Analyst and VISET Executive Director This opinion contribution seeks to contribute to the speedy actualisation of the formalisation strategy for Zimbabwe. From the onset, it is vital to acknowledge the work done thus far by players in the informal economy ecosystem to ensure that…

13 Jun 23

Farmers and Traders Convene for Market Indaba

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) on Friday the 9th of June, held a Market Access Indaba that brought together Council officials, Councillors, informal traders and farmers operating in Harare and the surrounding areas. The Principal Market Officer for Harare City Council Mr. Banda said they are aware…

08 Jun 23

Hundreds Attend VISET’s Stakeholders Engagement and Listening Meetings in Cowdray Park, Pumula and Entumbane

On Wednesday the 31st of May and Thursday the 1st of June 2023, the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) was in Bulawayo for yet another round of Stakeholders Engagement and Listening Meetings. The meetings were attended by representatives from Bulawayo City Council’s department of planning, department of…

11 May 23

VISET Conducts a Social Service Delivery Town Hall Meeting in Zengeza, Chitungwiza

VISET Conducts a Social Service Delivery Town Hall Meeting in Zengeza, Chitungwiza On Wednesday the 10th of May 2023, VISET was in Ward 10 Zengeza for a Social Service Delivery Town hall and Engagement meeting with Chitungwiza residents and informal traders. The meeting was also attended by solution holders that…

18 Apr 23

VISET Independence Day Statement

18 April marks the day when Zimbabwe gained the right to self-determination after a protracted war of liberation. Today, the country turns a whole 43 years of age and it is a time to take stock of the achievements gained, which are immense in that the first decade saw expansion…

14 Apr 23

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Production of short video skits on social service delivery and accountability in local authority processes. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is a union of vendors with structures throughout Zimbabwe. The organization was formed in 2015 to spearhead the social and economic transformation of…

08 Mar 23

International Women’s Day Statement

International Women’s Day Statement Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins women all over the world in celebrating International Women’s Day, under the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality” We cannot think of a more befitting theme as the world is still feeling the disruptive effects…

24 Jan 23

VISET Statement on International Day of Education

Today is International Day of Education and VISET joins the world in commemorating this important day whose 2023 theme is “To invest in people, prioritise education.”Education plays an important role at both individual and societal level in that it is the engine driver to national prosperity. In Zimbabwe, according to…

31 Dec 22

Adieu 2022…………………………………. As We Welcome 2023!

The year 2022 brought a lot of memorable, exciting and fulfilling moments to the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET). A lot of lessons were learnt and massive achievements accomplished towards the social and economic transformation of Informal Economy Workers and the communities we serve. We managed to…

02 Dec 22

VISET 2023 National Budget Response

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) takes note of the 2023 National Budget Presentation by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube on November 24 2022. In our view, the budget falls way below expectations of informal economy expectations and indeed the majority poor that…

07 Nov 22

REFORMING THE REGIONAL, TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT – TOWARDS A MORE DEMOCRATIC INFORMAL ECONOMY GOVERNANCE

This opinion contribution is a follow up to the conversations that were initiated by the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) under the Informal Economy Dialogue Guidance Framework (IEDGF). The IEDGF was anchored on the following themes and talking points: The opion contribution seeks to make a critical…

National Budget Consultations: VISET Updates from Different Venues across the Country

October 6, 2022

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and economic Development and Expanded Committee on Sustainable Development Goals began consultations for the national budget for 2023 on the 3rd of October. Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) was in attendance for the session held at Maphisa Growth point, Matobo…

VISET International Day of Peace Statement

September 21, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins the world in commemorating the International Day of Peace. The day was established in 1981 by the United Nations under resolution UN 36/37 and is dedicated to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and…

Production of two short video skits on youth participation in electoral and local governance processes

September 15, 2022

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is a union of vendors with structures throughout Zimbabwe. The organization was formed in 2015 to spearhead the social and economic transformation of street vendors by championing their quest to earn livelihoods in the current economic circumstances. VISET’s…

Develop a position paper on The Informal Cities: Rethinking the Urban Planning

September 15, 2022

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is a union of vendors with structures throughout Zimbabwe. The organization was formed in 2015 to spearhead the social and economic transformation of street vendors by championing their quest to earn livelihoods in the current economic circumstances. VISET’s…

VISET STATEMENT ON PARLIAMENTARY HEARINGS ON RECOGNISING UNPAID CARE AND DOMESTIC WORK

September 6, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is part of a Steering Committee Working Group on Unpaid Care and Domestic Work (UCDW). The Working Group is convened by the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe in collaboration with Oxfam Zimbabwe. Other members of the Working Group includes PADARE, Shamwari Yemwanasikana, WALPE,…

VISET Convenes Multi-Stakeholder Meeting in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane Ward 20

August 15, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) held a Multi stakeholder Feedback meeting with Nkulumane Informal Economy workers on August 11, 2022. In attendance were Councillors, Bulawayo City Council (BCC) officials, fellow informal economy representatives and the Bulawayo Representative for the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community Development and Small…

Min Mthuli Ncube Must Come Down to Earth – VISET Response Mid-Term Review and Supplementary Budget

July 29, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) notes with grave disappointment the 2022 Mid-Term Review and Supplementary Budget presentation by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube. The presentation, which essentially doubled the national budget to ZWL 1.9 trillion does not in any way answer to…

Mid-Term Budget Statement – Informal Economy Players Expectations

July 27, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) takes note that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube will on July 28, 2022, be presenting the 2022 Mid-Term Budget and Economic Review. The Review will highlight the performance of the economy and the 2022 Budget during the…

Informal Economy Formalisation Strategy Development – A Step in the Right Direction

July 25, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is currently involved in the validation process of data compiled under the Formalisation Strategy being spearheaded by government through the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare with able assistance of development partners. We welcome the transparent process through which the…

Informal Economy Women’s Hub (INEWOH) Calls for Genuine Financial Inclusion

July 21, 2022

The Informal Economy Women’s Hub (INEWOH) notes recent press reports pertaining to funding for women’s projects. The report quotes a member of a political party chastising their party members for not applying for loans with the Zimbabwe Women’s Bank (ZWB) in Zvimba District of Mashonaland West. The most worrisome aspect…

VISET Commemorates African Anti-Corruption Day

July 11, 2022

The 11th of July 2022 marks the 6th edition of the African Anti-Corruption Day as declared by the African Union and Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins the rest of the continent in the commemoration. This year’s theme ‘Strategies and Mechanisms for the Transparent Management of Covid-19…

VISET Convenes Domboshava Multi Stakeholder Feedback Meeting

June 27, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) on Friday the 24th of June 2022 convened a Multi Stakeholder Feedback Meeting at Chirodzero Business Centre, Ward 4, Showgrounds Domboshava. The meeting saw informal traders, the ward Councillor, Church leaders, Traditional leadership and Government officials being presented with findings from a…

Tafadzwa Muguti Must Abandon “The Hammer approach”

June 17, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) notes remarks by Harare Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mr. Tafadzwa Muguti in a local daily newspaper where he issued a 7-day ultimatum on businesses he described as acting outside the law in Harare Metropolitan province. Whilst VISET holds no brief…

VISET Commemorates Day of the African Child (DAC)

June 16, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins the continent in celebrating Day of the African Child (DAC) whose theme this year is “Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy & Practice since 2013”. The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Committee),…

Informal Economy Associations Present Research findings on Youth Employment and Informality Assessment

June 1, 2022

On Tuesday the 24th of May 2022, the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) in collaboration with other informal economy associations namely Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association (ZCIEA), Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) and Deaf Zimbabwe Trust (DZT) presented the findings of the Youth Employment and…

VISET Holds a Community Consultative Meeting in Ward 28 Cowdray Park, Bulawayo

May 9, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET)on Friday 06 May 2022 held a community consultative meeting in Ward 28 Cowdray Park, Bulawayo. The meeting brought together informal traders, representatives of residence associations, and community members to discuss what challenges the community is facing, in particular the fact that this…

VISET Holds a CivActs Community Listening Meeting in Ward 21 Bromley Goromonzi District

May 5, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) held a community listening meeting in Ward 21 Bromley Goromonzi District on Wednesday the 4th of May 2022. The meeting which was graced by the Ward Councillor, Wonderford Nyamarumbe traditional leadership and members of the community sought to hear development needs and…

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

April 18, 2022

Conduct a mapping exercise unpacking the dynamics of unpaid care work in the Informal Economy in Zimbabwe. 1.BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is a union of informal traders with structures throughout Zimbabwe. The organization was formed in 2015 to spearhead the social and…

VISET Independence Day Statement

April 18, 2022

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) proudly joins our nation of Zimbabwe in celebrating 42 years of Independence. 1980 saw the advent of majority rule with great strides made in sectors such as health and education as government spared no effort in bringing the black majority into mainstream…

16 Mar 25

VISET Statement – Welcoming the Bulawayo City Council’s Progressive Approach to Vending Relocation

Date 16 March 2015 The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) warmly welcomes the recent decision by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to adopt a less aggressive approach regarding the vending situation in our city. We commend the leadership of Deputy Mayor Edwin Ndlovu and the BCC for…

12 Mar 25

We reject the imminent “Zero Vending” initiative by City of Harare

The statement regarding the City of Harare’s upcoming “zero vending” initiative is concerning for the community of informal economy workers represented by the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET). The proposed operation to eradicate illegal vending demonstrates a lack of understanding and support for the livelihoods of countless…

28 Feb 25

Harare’s New Municipal Police Unit: Addressing Concerns for Informal Traders and Community Welfare

Press Statement from the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) Friday, 28 February 2025 Harare’s New Municipal Police Unit: Addressing Concerns for Informal Traders and Community Welfare VISET expresses its deep concern regarding the recent announcement by the Harare City Council about the formation of a new municipal…

24 Feb 25

VISET Symposium on Mandatory Taxation of Zimbabwe’s Informal Economy Yields Fruitful Outcomes

Harare, Zimbabwe The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), in collaboration with the Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ), successfully hosted a symposium on the introduction of mandatory taxation of Zimbabwe’s informal economy. The event, held last Tuesday in Harare, brought together key stakeholders to…

13 Feb 25

Statement for Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) on International Radio Day

Date: February 13, 2024 Today, on International Radio Day, we at the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) celebrate the critical role that radio plays in empowering communities, disseminating vital information, and fostering social cohesion. As a union representing informal economy workers, we understand that access to information…

16 Nov 24

VISET Slams Proposed Emergency Levy

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) notes with dismay the City of Harare proposed 2025 budget by the Finance and Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Costa Mande on 12 November 2024. The budget proposal, running under the theme “Enhancing Service Delivery: Building a Sustainable Green Future Together” contains many…

15 Oct 24

VISET Statement on International Day of Rural Women Commemorations

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) joins the world in commemorating International Day of Rural Women, which is running under the theme “Empowering Women Living in Rural Areas Through Education and Access to Technology: Bridging The Gap for Inclusive and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Africa” The day…

14 Oct 24

Call for Consultant: Development of Community Scorecards Tools for a Public Expenditure Survey for the LACE Project

Project Title: Local Authorities Citizen Engagement (LACE) Organization: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) Introduction The Local Accountability and Citizen Engagement (LACE) project, spearheaded by the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET), aims to empower citizens, particularly informal traders, in tracking public expenditure and promoting transparency…

14 Oct 24

Call for Consultant: Analysis of Local Authorities’ Annual Budgets

Project Title: Local Authorities Citizen Engagement (LACE) Organization: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) Introduction: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is currently implementing the Local Authorities Citizen Engagement (LACE) project that seeks to improve the influence of informal sector voices and agency in shaping local…

14 Oct 24

Call for Consultant: Development of A Training Manual

Project Title: Local Authorities Citizen Engagement (LACE) Organization: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) Introduction: Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) is seeking the services of a consultant to develop a training manual that seeks to enhance the understanding of informal traders and residents on budget…