Youths resort to vending

The Global Political Agreement brought hope to the majority of Zimbabweans but five years on, high unemployment rates is like athorn in the flesh for the majority of the youths.  

 

An unidentified youth takes a rest after spending the whole day moving from one industry to the next in search of employment. Zimbabwean youths resort to vending to avert poverty. 32 year old Portia Chimusoro, who is originally from Mutoko says because of poor harvests, she decided to come to Harare for employment. Having worked as a maid for a couple of months without a salary, she ventured into vending.

While others are exhibiting resilience and are optimistic that the current economic woes bedeviling the country are coming to the end with the advent of the new draft constitution, the majority of youths have taken to the streets as vendors. Running battles with the law enforcement agents have not deterred their determination to eke out a living out of vending. Always on the look- out for municipality and Zimbabwe Republic Police, the vendors display their wares on card board boxes along pavements in the.capital city

Various wares are sold on the streets from airtime, fruits, belts and shoes. Young entrepreneurs in the shoe making business sell their 'original' shoes to the vendors who in turn sell from the streets because they cannot afford to register SMEs and rent office space within the CBD to formalize their business.

War veterans Chairperson Joseph Chinotimba addressing youths attributes the current economic woes including the high rates of unemployment to sanctions from the West; "This is not what we fought for," he said.

"Elements within our society are causing all this because they are being used by the West," said Cde Chinotimba. 

An unidentified vendor chats with a colleague while taking a break from his daily routine, as is the norm for unemployed youths in our "independent' Zimbabwe .