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Mbare
man dies . . . as municipal police unleashes violence on vendors
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
November 10, 2009
The Combined
Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is deeply saddened by the unfortunate
and unnecessary death of the Mbare vendor, Godfrey Tonde, who died
yesterday (9 October 2009) after falling while trying to run away
from the municipal police who had unleashed their wrath on vendors.
This incident comes barely a week after the municipal police descended
on the vendors at Fourth Street Bus Terminus; a situation that saw
the vendors becoming violent and throwing stones at the municipal
police trucks.
The municipal
police have become a nightmare to most vendors in the streets of
Harare who are continuously suffering beatings for allegedly doing
business at 'undesignated points'. It defies logic to
note that the Harare City Council is expending its efforts on harassing
vendors at a time when it should be focusing on improving service
delivery. The current situation where vendors do not have market
stalls to do their business is reflective of the Council's
failure to properly provide its ratepayers with adequate social
services. These people were condemned into this unfortunate situation
by Operation Murambatsvina; and correcting that malady is supposed
to be one of the priorities of Council. It is now more than twelve
months since the Council came into Office; and concrete steps to
improve the lives of the Harare populace should have been taken
by now.
Council should
actually think of ways to reallocate market stalls to these desperate
residents who are trying to earn a living through vending instead
of continuously harassing them. The death of Tonde was unnecessary
and Council should be held responsible for his death. CHRA got information
from Harare Central Police Station to the effect that, according
to the laws of this country, the municipal police do not have the
legal right to beat residents for whatever reasons. Beating residents
for vending on the streets is tantamount to gross violations of
human rights and it should be stopped at all costs. Residents make
the following demands;
- That Council
should bear all the funeral expenses for Tonde.
- Council
should be brought to book for causing Tonde's death.
- That Council
should stop harassing vendors forthwith.
- Council
should ensure that market stalls are constructed and allocated
to residents in need as a matter of urgency.
CHRA and the
residents of Harare at large mourn together with the Tonde family.
It is unfortunate that his death has come at a time when there is
an elected Council in office; a Council that is supposed to represent
those who ushered it into office instead of violating their right
to life. CHRA appeals to all the Harare Councilors to take this
incident as a turning point for reflecting on what they have been
doing since they came into office. The Councilors should influence
change and professionalism in the operations at Town House instead
of perpetuating the culture of the previous Harare Commissions.
CHRA remains committed to advocating for good, accountable and transparent
local governance as well as lobbying for quality municipal services.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
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