By A Correspondent -The Masvingo Women Rights Advocacy Group (MWRAG) has raised alarm over what it describes as escalating harassment, arbitrary arrests, excessive force and confiscation of goods targeting vendors in Masvingo.

MWRAG says the crackdowns are intensifying despite repeated calls by vendors’ committees, residents’ associations, civil society and affected communities for lasting solutions to the city’s vending crisis.

While the organisation accepts that regulating informal trading is a legitimate council responsibility, it insists enforcement must be lawful, humane and rights-based.

“Municipal authorities must respect the dignity and livelihoods of citizens, even while enforcing by-laws,” MWRAG said.

The latest incident occurred on 6 November 2026, when an elderly male pushcart vendor was allegedly arrested by at least five Masvingo City Council municipal police officers in the Central Business District during an operation targeting unlicensed vendors.

Witnesses allege the vendor was forcefully restrained, handcuffed and thrown to the ground in full public view after attempting to flee. His pushcart and goods were then confiscated.

A day later, on 7 November 2026, municipal police reportedly continued the operation, confiscating goods from several vendors operating near busy trading points in the city centre and loading them onto a council truck over allegations of trading at undesignated sites.

Affected residents say the approach now feels punitive rather than corrective, particularly where force, confiscation and public humiliation are involved.

MWRAG warns the incidents potentially violate constitutionally protected rights, including personal liberty, human dignity, protection from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, administrative justice, and the freedom to carry on a lawful trade or occupation.

The organisation argues enforcement alone will not solve informal trading challenges if no alternatives are provided.

It is now calling on Masvingo City Council to urgently establish sufficient, affordable, accessible and properly serviced vending spaces to accommodate the growing number of informal traders.

According to MWRAG, many vendors operate in undesignated areas because of limited market space, overcrowding, poor location of designated sites and affordability challenges.

“Constructive engagement between council, vendors, residents and other stakeholders offers a more sustainable solution than recurring crackdowns,” the organisation said.

MWRAG urged authorities to adopt a balanced approach that combines lawful regulation with protection of human rights and livelihoods, saying a city committed to inclusive development should not marginalise vulnerable residents who depend on informal trading to survive.

Rather than relying on confiscations and arrests, authorities should focus on creating an enabling environment where urban order and economic survival can coexist.