Eight vendors who were arrested in Harare on Monday following clashes with municipal and Zimbabwe Republic Police will remain in custody until Friday after a Harare magistrate denied them bail.
Samuel Wadzayi, director of the Vendors' Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation, told Studio 7 the vendors, who are members of his organisation, have been charged with public violence, malicious injury to property, resisting arrest and injuring a policewoman.
Wadzayi said the court will decide on their bail application on Friday.
The eight were part of dozens of vendors who fought running battles with the municipal police after their wares were confiscated for selling at undesignated sites.
“One of them, Innocent, was badly assaulted and we condemn this as an organization, we don’t believe that violence can solve anything,” said Wadzayi.
He said it’s time that people start engaging to solve these burning issues.
Vendors were recently kicked out of the central business district to council-issued vending sites, but they have started streaming back onto city streets at dawn to catch workers when they are returning home.
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Interview With Samuel Wadzayi
Local Government Minister Saviour Kasuwere warned that heads will roll at Town House if the city fathers fail to deal with the vendors’ issue.