Informal traders operating in Harare’s central business district will have to shut down by 6pm under new trading hours announced by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, a move that sharply curtails the late-afternoon and early-evening trade many vendors rely on for their daily earnings.
The restriction, made public in Harare on Thursday, 17 September, applies with immediate effect in all 92 local authorities. Vendors trading in central business districts are now permitted to operate only between 6am and 6pm, while those in residential areas, including the capital’s high-density suburbs, have been given until 8pm to close.
No vending after dark in the CBD
Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, said authorities do not expect to find anyone trading in a business district after the 6pm cut-off, nor in residential communities after 8pm. The new window, he explained, is intended to bring informal trading in line with existing licensing arrangements, which generally bar business activity outside stipulated hours unless a specific licence provides otherwise.
For Harare, the practical effect is significant. The city centre has long served as a trading hub for thousands of people selling fresh produce, clothing, cooked food and household goods, with the busiest hours often coming as commuters stream out of offices and factories in the late afternoon. Traders who depend on that evening rush now face a much narrower operating day.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said particular attention will be paid to the central business district, singling out the downtown area and First Street, which he described as a key commercial corridor and gateway that should reflect the standing of Zimbabwe’s capital.
Property owners in the firing line
The trading restrictions form one arm of a broader enforcement push that also targets building owners. Garwe directed all local authorities to begin issuing abatement orders against owners and occupiers whose buildings, boundary walls, pavements, yards and surrounding areas are unsafe, unsanitary, dilapidated or otherwise in an unacceptable condition.
The directive, issued under Section 36, Subsection 4 of the Housing Standards Control Act, takes immediate effect and covers shopping centres, business complexes, industrial premises, offices, churches and residential properties. Property owners will be required to carry out repairs, renovations, repainting and cleaning to bring their premises up to standard.
Garwe explained that an abatement order is a legal instruction compelling an owner or occupier to fix specified problems within a period set by law. Non-compliance can attract penalties including a fine of up to level five, imprisonment of up to six months, or a bond, depending on the legislation applied.
Local planning authorities were also told to tighten enforcement against unauthorised construction and building alterations, with enforcement orders to be issued requiring those responsible to stop or remedy unlawful development.
By-laws under review
Alongside the crackdown, the ministry is overhauling the rules that govern informal trade. Garwe said amended Hawkers and Vendors By-Laws will soon be published, introducing updated licensing and control measures, including provisions covering vending sites owned by third parties. Local authorities have been instructed to renovate and improve existing vending sites so that they are safe and suitable for traders.
Muguti added that 113 by-laws are currently being modified to align them with the government’s Vision 2030 agenda. He also signalled that the National Clean-Up Campaign, which began along ED Mnangagwa Road, will be extended into neighbourhoods across the country in the coming period.
Garwe framed the programme as more than a short-term operation. He said it is an ongoing effort centred on restoration, enforcement, rehabilitation and improved service delivery, and stressed that the government is not trying to stop people from earning a living but wants informal activity to take place lawfully, in an orderly and safe manner.
Livelihoods and enforcement questions
The announcement lands in a familiar fault line. Authorities have repeatedly tried to decongest city centres, manage waste and reclaim public spaces, while traders argue that vending is a lifeline in an economy where formal jobs remain scarce.
What is not yet clear is how the new hours will be enforced and what penalties will apply to those who keep trading past the deadline. The government has not outlined an enforcement mechanism, leaving open questions about how municipal police and local authority officers will apply the rules on Harare’s streets.
The measures are expected to reach beyond the major urban centres, with the clean-up programme set to extend to growth points in rural districts as the government moves to enforce uniform standards across local authorities.
