Zimbabwe Minister orders Bulawayo vendors to stop paying unauthorized space barons

Zimbabwean Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe has ordered vendors in Bulawayo’s central business district to immediately cease making payments to unauthorized individuals, referred to as ‘space barons,’ for access to vending bays.

Garwe stated that these individuals hold no legal authority to allocate public spaces or collect fees. He warned that the government would be ‘ruthless’ in addressing those operating outside the law and accused these actors of exploiting traders and contributing to urban chaos. The minister encouraged vendors to report extortion attempts directly to him to prevent them from being ‘fleeced’ of their earnings.