Harare, Zimbabwe – In a brazen assault of a grade between street vendors and municipal authorities, two vendors have been brought before a Harare magistrate after attacking municipal police officers in the city’s Central Business District (CBD). The violent incident occurred during a police operation aimed at apprehending illegal vendors operating on the streets.

The two vendors, identified as Derreck Nyeke and Kelvin Chikono, had initially set up their stalls on the pavements along Cameron Street, near the Flyover. As municipal police began confiscating goods from these unauthorized vending sites, chaos erupted. Vendors scattered with their belongings but soon regrouped, launching a retaliatory attack on the officers.

In the ensuing altercation, a police Hino lorry, registration number AAE 8352, sustained damage to its quarter glass, highlighting the intensity of the clash. Despite the pandemonium, law enforcement managed to apprehend Nyeke and Chikono. Other participants in the assault fled the scene and remain at large.

Court testimony revealed the extent of the confrontation, with municipal police officers facing considerable resistance while carrying out their duties. The assault on law enforcement officers marks a significant escalation in the ongoing struggle to regulate informal trade within Harare’s central business district.

Nyeke and Chikono have been remanded in custody pending further proceedings, as the legal process takes its course. The incident has sparked a debate about the challenges faced by municipal authorities in enforcing regulations amidst the thriving informal trade sector.

As Harare continues to grapple with these issues, the assault on police officers serves as a stark reminder of the volatile environment in which these operations take place. The city’s efforts to manage illegal vending must now contend with the potential for violent resistance, raising questions about the future approach to such enforcement actions.