The Bulawayo Vendors Traders Association (BVTA), in partnership with the Young African leaders Initiative and the Vendors initiative for Socio-Economic Transformation are lobbying Bulawayo City Council to review the 1976 Hawkers and vendors by-law.
The petition process, being spearheaded by BVTA, calls for the local authority to immediately review of this primitive piece of legislation citing its out datedness, inconsistency with the Constitution and current situation as it hinders the operations of the informal sector in the city.
Section 64 of the Constitution stipulates that “Every person has a Constitutional right to choose and carry on any profession, trade or practice of a profession, trade or occupation may be regulated by law.”
The current Hawkers and Vendors by-law stifles freedom of trade or choice of occupation, hence, the decision by organizations to petition the council to scrap this by-law. The government should consider vending as a new reality that requires proper planning and designing of vending sites that are compatible with the current socio-economic situation.
Informal sector has provided alternative employment to the many jobless people hence there is need to review these outdated laws that hinder progress on the formalization of the informal sector.