Chamisa defends vendors, says vending is not a crime

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa declared that vending is not a crime, positioning himself in support of informal traders facing police harassment, as reported by iHarare News. The statement comes amid a government crackdown on street vendors in Harare, which Chamisa argues is a politically motivated attack on the urban poor. Chamisa's defense of vendors risks alienating middle-class voters who view informal trading as a symptom of economic decay, not a right. The political statement aligns with a grassroots constituency but lacks actionable policy or enforcement mechanism, offering limited immediate strategic weight from a non-incumbent leader. Chamisa has called for a more humane approach to urban governance that recognizes the economic realities facing many Zimbabweans.