‘Picking up the pieces’: Reconstructing the informal economic sector in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Abstract

English: Since the launch of Operation Restore Order in May 2005 in all urban centres by the Zimbabwean government, the informal economic sector in Bulawayo has undergone significant transformations and growth. In contravention of the legal and regulatory controls and against the backdrop of a severe economic crisis, the government embarked on a clean-up campaign that devastated the urban poor and reduced them to destitute people. The blitz destroyed informal business structures, evicting and detaining operators and confiscating their wares purporting to restore the lost glimmer and liveliness of the city. Even registered vendors that operated at designated sites with operating licences properly issued by the city authorities were not spared. This study’s preliminary findings reveal how the planning system has metamorphosed to keep up with changing circumstances and how it has helped to revolutionise the vendors’ struggles by organising and mobilising them to revive the indispensable informal economy. In conclusion the article argues that city authorities should work closely with the associations of the urban poor to achieve the objectives both of maintaining urban health and of ensuring the means of livelihood for the unemployed, in particular against the backdrop of a distressed formal sector that has reeled under economic structural adjustments that led to massive deindustrialisation and retrenchments since the 1990s.

Afrikaans: Sedert die begin van die Zimbabwiese regering se Operasie Herstel Orde in al die stede in Mei 2005 het die informele sektor in Bulawayo betekenisvolle transformasies en groei ondergaan. Teenstrydig met die wetgewende en regulerende beheermaatreëls en teen die agtergrond van ‘n ernstige ekonomiese krisis het die regering ‘n opruimingsveldtog gevoer wat die stedelike armes se lewens verwoes, en hul haweloos gemaak het. In die blits veldtog is informele besigheidstrukture vernietig, operateurs uitgedryf of gevange geneem, en hul ware gekonfiskeer in ‘n poging om die verlore glorie en lewenskragtigheid van die stede te herwin. Selfs geregistreerde handelaars wat op aangewese ruimtes, met goedgekeurde permitte wat deur die plaaslike owerheid uitgereik was, handel gedryf het, was nie gespaar nie. Voorlopige bevindings van hierdie studie toon aan hoe die beplanningsisteem verander het om tred te hou met veranderende omstandighede en hoe dit gelei het tot die revolusionarisering van die informele handelaars se stryd deur die organisering en mobilisering van die handelaars met die oog daarop om die onvervangbare informele ekonomie te laat herlewe. Laastens is daar gevind dat die plaaslike owerhede nou met organisasies van die stedelike armes sal saamwerk om beide die doelwitte van behoud van stedelike welstand en metodes van oorlewing vir die werkloses te bereik, naamlik teen die agtergrond van ‘n sukkelende formele sektor wat gebuk gaan onder die program van ekonomiese strukturele aanpassings wat gelei het tot deindustrialisasie en afdankings sedert die 1990s.

SeSotho: Haesale ho thakgolwa Leano la ho Boloka Molao kgweding ya Motsheanong 2005 ditsing tsohle tsa metse ya ditoropo ke mmuso wa Zimbabwe, lefapha la moruo la bahwebi sa seng molaong motsemoholo wa Bulawayo le fetohile le hona ho hola ruri.Thulanong le molao le ditaolo tsa melawana esitana le ho weng ka sekgahla ha moruo, mmuso o ikakgetse ka setotswana letsholong la ho hlwekisa le tshwara batho ba futsanehileng metseng ya ditoropo ho ba fetola mehofe.Taba ena ya sehloho sena e sentse metheo ya kgwebo ya bahwebi ba seng molaong, ho falliswa batho le ho tshwara ba tsamaisang kgwebo ena esitana le ho nka thepa ya bona eo ba e rekisang ho bewa lebakanyana la hore ho kgutlisetswa botle le bophelo ba motsemoholo. Ekasitana le bahwebi ba mebileng ba ngodisitsweng ka molao ba neng ba rekisetsa ditsheng tse nang le mangolo a tumello (dilaksense) tse ntshitsweng ka molao ke balaodi ba motsemoholo ha di a ka tsa bolokwa. Diphuputso tsa pelenyana tsa thuto ena di hlahisa kamoo mokgwa wa moralo o fetohileng kateng ho boloka kgato le maemo a fetohang le hore ho thusitse jwang ho matlafatsa dintwa tsa hohahamalla bophelo ba bahwebi ba mebileng ka ho hlophisa le ho ipopa ngatana e le nngwe boitsekong ba bona ho tsosa moruo wa kgwebo e seng molao ya bohlokwa. Qetellong ditaba tsena di hlalosa hore balaodi kapa batsamaisi ba ka sehloohong ba motsemoholo ba tshwanetse ho sebetsa mmoho le mekgatlo ya bafutsanehi ba metseng ya ditoropo hore bobedi ba bona ba atlehe ho fumana maekemisetso a bona a ho boloka bophelo ba metse ya ditoropong le ho tiisa mekgwa ya bophelo bo botle ba batho ba sa sebetseng haholoholo ka baka la ho lahlehelwa ha lefapha la bahwebi ba seng molaong leo le ileng la putlama ka tlasa dikamano tsa motheo tsa moruo tse bakileng hore ho be le ho wa ha diindasteri esitana le ho ntshuwa mesebetsing ha batho ho hoholo haesale ho tloha ka dilemo tsa bo1990.