MDC Alliance-At the Cusp of Self Destruction.

Welcome Back to Harare - The Sunshine City.

 By Hosia Mviringi

24 September 2018

I have never Harare this clean.

Neither had I imagined that we can return this Harare to be a business friendly city again.

I had also never thought that it is still possible to enforce local by-laws anymore.

I had never thought that this upside down state of our Cities would be overturned and restored again one day.

I had never thought that one day trash would remember where it belongs, in the dust bin.

I had never thought that our people would one day understand that overstaying in illegality and overdoing the wrong things dont make them a right.

I had long prayed for restoration of our Cities , our Country and our people's dignity.We are a people who should be be governed by laws.Even animals do have their own Laws of the jungle which are governed by nature.

I also had never thought that our authorities would muster the courage to bite the bullet and do the right thing for once.

I had never thought that our Politicians would risk Political correctness for the sake of doing the right thing.

I had always imagined one day cars driving on the pavements and verandas because all the driveways would have been fully occupied by non rent/tax paying tenants called Vendors.

I had feared to see all buildings in the City Centres turn into white elephants when all tenants would have vacated to the Avenues.

Which business can continue paying Rent ,Rates and taxes while informal traders qho operate at zero expenditure take away business from their doorstep ? 

What moral compass/ standing would one City Council have to demand rates from a Tenant/ business they do not and can not protect ? 

I had always dreaded having one day to tell the President that the Country cannot be open for business if we can not protect those businesses that operate legally.

I feared that the President would not stomach the hurtful reality that His is an exercise in futility.

I am happy today that the President is up and alive to what exactly needs to be done, first of which being putting everything in its place.

Long time ago we knew that for Second hand Clothing we would go to Mupedzanhamo, for new Excutive wear we would go to Greatermans/ Edgars.

We knew that litter belonged into the dustbin.We also knew that human waste belonged in the toilet and not in delivery lanes.

We knew too that cash resided in the banks and not in the streets and at Roadport or Tredgold, the same way we knew that tomatoes and vegetables belonged to Vegetable markets(Musika) and not at the Centre line on Robert Mugabe Street.

Now with the outbreak of such Contagious diseases as Cholera and Typhoid it can only be proper that things are regulated.

Imagine a fruit vendor parked and selling fruits in the middle of the road.
Count the number of hands that touch that favourite fruit of yours before you finally lay yours on it.

With the hunger of a lion you munch through the Apple not knowing that so many other hands had just touched it without even being washed.

What a risk !

Now it gets even strange when people vow to fight to keep standing on their heads while their feet are in the air.

The fact that you have been doing it for a long time doesnt make it right.

The law remains the law.

I am happy today that one can even go out with their children on a Saturday for a shopping trip at Joina City.Its refreshing that the streets have become walkable and passable again after almost two decades of chaos.

Have we suddenly become so dull and illiterate that we cant tell where to board buses to go home at the end of our working day ? Is there anything that necessitates buses and Combis coming to yell and hoot at our doorstep just to remind us that we need to go home ?

Come on my Countrymen and women.We are more civilised than that.We can make these decisions and act accordingly on our own.

Now can we reinvent and renew ourselves from the mess and be attractive again as a business destination ?

Yes its possible.With steadfast effort to enforce our laws we can be unstopable.

Our people need to get to a positon where they appreciate the folly of going and living against the laws of the land.

Laws were made to protect the public.But not until they are enforced.The citizen should be proud that the country still has a set of enforceable laws.

We applaud the resolve by the government of President Mnangagwa to enforce its own laws despite the risk of losing the popularity contest.

We are a nation blessed with beautiful cities and friendly people with thriving infrastructure which if maintained will attract international capital for employment creation.

Some may argue that the government should provide alternative employment for the multitudes of vendors who will be affected before removing them from city centres.

Well it is not the job of government to provide employment.

But the role of government is to create a conducive environment for businesses to flourish and provide quality employment for its citizens.One way of creating such an environment is to respect and enforce its own laws and protecting those businesses operating within the confines of the law.

No business can flourish in a lawless society.So its like the question of the egg and the hen.Something has to come first.And in this case an enabling environment has to be created first for businesses to grow and employ more.

These are the businesses that remit taxes to the government for it to function.Its these businesses that pay rates to the Local Authorities for service provision.

So I thank the Government for shunning populism and going for realism.

It is a misconception that this government only respects foreign businesses.

Even local entrepreneurs need protection of the law for them to formalise and contribute to the national fiscus.Thats how economies grow.

I want to give respect to and thank those vendors who have heeded the call and have taken up space in the rightful locations at Coke Corner and many other convenient lacations.

Now that we know where you are we will be sure to visit you for your products and services.

Now the Sun will Shine again on Harare our Capital City.We can all enjoy the Sunshine without a hustle.

In the Spirit of Unity and togetherness of purpose we can go further.

Icho ! Ngachirire !