Women Fight Vendor Sextortion as Gweru Council Expresses Zero Tolerance

Gweru — The systemic imbalance of power between Municipal enforcement agents and illegal street vendors has emerged as a major driver of transactional sexual exploitation, or sextortion, amid calls for organised women's groups to directly engage civic authorities.

Civic society and community monitors argue that the "cat and mouse" relationship between the local authority and informal traders creates a vulnerable ecosystem where municipal officers leverage regulatory bylaws to extract illicit favours from desperate traders seeking protection.

This was revealed during an online local governance round-table convened by the Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) Gweru Chapter following a research conducted by gender and inclusion specialist, Thando Gwinji, on feminism and the informal sector in Zimbabwe launched in Gweru recently in partnership with Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET).

WCoZ Young Women's Forum member and Community Resource Monitoring Agent (CORA) under the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), Yeukai Munetsi, observed that the issue of street harassment is deeply intertwined with economic survival.

"When it comes to sexual harassment, the situation is highly complicated and deeply rooted in power dynamics," she said.

"Those vendors who seem untouched have usually been forced into a structural arrangement.

"It may not present as outright rape or physical assault, but rather a scenario where council employees abuse their authority to enforce bylaws.

"They manipulate vendors into sexual relationships because these women desperately need to trade and protect their livelihoods," Munetsi said.

She noted that under such highly compromised economic conditions, true consent cannot exist because the enforcement officer maintains total control over the trader's livelihood.

On the other hand, she said some locals feel pity for the alleged abusers in fear of ripple effects that catch on to innocent dependents, if jobs are lost.

"Some people end up feeling pity for these abusive workers, fearing that if they are exposed and publicised, they will be fired and their families, wives and children will suffer.

"Meanwhile, we have witnessed instances where council police target specific individuals during clean-up operations, single out a vendor just to victimise her, and sometimes even ignore her goods entirely just to track down and arrest her personally," she said.

Responding to queries regarding structural challenges, Gweru City Council Public Relations Officer, Vimbai Chingwaramusee, admitted that enforcement mechanisms are overstretched, hence the continuous return of informal traders to undesignated zones in the central business district (CBD).

"This is a deeply concerning issue, and it reflects the ongoing 'cat and mouse' relationship between the council and informal traders.

"You are evicted today, but because that street is your only source of livelihood, you return tomorrow.

"The reality is that we do not have adequate manpower to monitor every street simultaneously. This is why we are appealing to women to utilise designated markets.

"Is there any dignity in constantly being chased down the streets as women? We should look for legal, designated spaces where you can trade peacefully without harassment while contributing your taxes," Chingwaramusee told participants.

She stressed that vending without a valid permit remains entirely illegal within the municipality's parameters and outlined the formal procedures required to regularise operations.

"First and foremost, vending in undesignated areas within the CBD is illegal. If we want to operate properly, we must legalise our activities.

"This requires you to approach the council, visit the Department of Housing, and apply for designated trading spaces.

"Those operating push carts should also inquire about regularisation. There are standard fees and legal permits available that allow you to conduct your business smoothly without constant friction with authorities," she explained.

Addressing health and hygiene concerns at regional markets like Mtapa, where some traders have migrated to traffic intersections and allegedly continue to desecrate nearby Mtapa burial grounds due to public toilet deficits, Chingwaramusee stated that infrastructure is available but requires civic responsibility.

"We have adequate sanitation infrastructure at Mtapa, including a functional pay toilet as well as toilets at our Mtapa council administration offices.

"The challenge we are facing is a lack of basic civic decency and self-respect among some traders.

"It is shameful that people are resorting to relieving themselves in nearby cemeteries where our relatives are laid to rest.

"This behaviour sets us back, and we must ask ourselves: where is our sense of Ubuntu? We need a mindset shift because hygiene is critical.

"Surely, one cannot fail to raise a single dollar for a clean toilet, or fail to walk to the Mtapa administration offices and ensure the facilities are left clean for the next person," the council spokesperson noted.

On the management of uncollected or confiscated contraband, Chingwaramusee clarified that the local authority operates within statutory timelines before liquidating seized properties.

"Regarding uncollected goods, all confiscated perishables are disposed of once they spoil, as there is no alternative," she said.

"For non-perishable goods, we store them safely for three months, giving the owners ample time to come forward and reclaim them.

"If they remain unclaimed after this ninety-day period, they are then disposed of through a public auction," Chingwaramusee said.