THE High Court has declared as unlawful, ongoing local authorities’ demolitions on market stalls to which it ordered an immediate stop.
This follows an urgent chamber application filed by several informal traders and residents groups against the local and central governments which have combined to raze down vending stalls and tuckshops across the country’s urban authorities.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) which filed the challenge on behalf of the applicants announced the ban should serve as a warning to all councils.
“ZLHR believes this ban should serve as a warning to the rest of all councils that demolitions will have repercussions on them,” said the lawyers group.
The application was filed on Sunday through ZLHR’s Tarisai Mutangi and Moses Nkomo.
The informal traders, residents and residential associations were represented by Chitungwiza Residents Trust and Kushinga Epworth Residents Association, some of whose members are owners and users of tuckshops and vending stalls.
The demolitions came after Health Minister Obadiah Moyo had issued Circular Minute 3 of 2020 addressed to leaders of local authorities advising them of a recent Cabinet resolution to “take advantage of the national lockdown to clean up and renovate small and medium enterprises and informal traders workspaces.
Moyo also implored them “to make every effort to comply with the resolution”.
