Zimbabwe vendors protest over eviction

HARARE:

Hundreds of street vendors protested in Zimbabwe' s
capital Wednesday against plans to drive them off
pavements in the city ,where increasing numbers of
unemployed are trying to make a living.

Zimbabwe 's collapsing economy has forced many
companies to close ,leaving redundant workers school
leavers and collage graduates turning to petty trading
on the streets

Local authorities gave the vendors until  June the 26
to remove their stalls in the city centres and set up
elsewhere,with a warning that force could be used
if they resist,

Protesting vendors brandished to parliaments and
sang as they marched to parliament to present a
petition against their eviction,

"The petition is imploring the government to come
to terms with the fact that our economy is ailing
and since our economy is ailing ,removing the symptoms
will not solve the problem"said Justice Manavi secretary
of National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe,

No one choose to be a vendor in Zimbabwe,We have
got graduates on the streets,All they want is employment
The vendors were unfazed by the heavy presence
of police forming a human barricade to prevent
the traders from getting too close to the parliament
building as their leaders handed in the petitionAFP