Tinaani Nyabereka
Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) last week launched a medical aid facility to cater for their membership.
The initiative will cover the needs of victims of police and municipality brutality particularly in light of the ongoing demolition exercises in Harare, TellZim News has learnt.
VISET Director Sam Wadzai said the establishment of the facility was necessitated by the rising disregard for human life by the law enforcement agents
“We have established this facility so that we offer medical assistance to our membership as we discovered that many members experience injuries at the hands of riot police.
“This facility does not cater for Covid-19 testing. However VISET is working with partners like OXFAM on vaccination campaigns for their membership and the general public to counter fake news and conspiracy theories. The facility is available for all VISET members countrywide,” said Wadzai.
He however noted that the informal sector had been greatly affected by lockdown restrictions that had limited movements for both farmers and customers across the country.
“Our vendors have been affected by the current restrictions and the ban on commuter omnibus operators outside of the ZUPCO facility looking at the current surges in the Covid-19 cases.
“Another disturbance is the recent crackdown by the Provincial Development Coordinator for Harare Metropolitan Province, Tafadzwa Muguti who decided to embark on the destruction of informal traders’ work places in defiance of a High Court order barring him from doing so.
“There is no alternative site at all to relocate our people. The City fathers just decided to destroy the existing markets without plan B or an alternative. This is why we are against the whole exercise because it’s not informed by any planning ethos,” Wadzai said.
