Harare’s mayor has emphasised that public safety must outweigh economic activity in the city’s central business district (CBD), following a viral video showing a man cooking on an open gas stove. The incident has intensified scrutiny over the Harare City Council’s management of widespread informal street vending.
The video, which circulated widely on social media, depicts a vendor preparing sadza—a staple maize porridge—using a gas cylinder in a busy CBD area. Another cylinder is shown lit with a pot of relish. This form of night vending, which also includes activities like roasting corn, is common across Harare but has drawn sharp criticism over fire risks.
Mayor Jacob Mafume stated that while the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) hold arresting powers, the city cannot permit such hazards. “Harare is not a refugee camp. Harare is the capital city. You cannot bring fire, especially gas canisters, in the middle of the City where people are moving up and down with their cars. What happens if the fire breaks out? It will destroy properties,” he said.
The episode has highlighted the council’s difficulty in enforcing its bylaws against illegal vending. Municipal officials have previously been accused of accepting bribes to ignore illicit operations, undermining regulatory efforts. Mafume acknowledged the challenge but insisted that livelihoods cannot compromise public health and safety.
“Food is a serious public health issue. Those people who fall sick, those people who die, end up using the City and the City ends up paying and the residents are the ones who end up paying,” he noted. “We need to take care. We need to live. We need to have livelihoods but we must not damage.”
Informal trading in Harare has expanded amid economic hardship, with many residents relying on street vending for income. However, the use of flammable gas cylinders in densely populated areas poses a clear fire hazard, according to authorities. The council faces pressure to balance economic inclusion with urban safety standards.
The viral video serves as a focal point for this tension, exposing gaps in municipal oversight. While the city recognises the necessity of informal economies, officials stress that unregulated vending—particularly involving open flames—cannot be tolerated in the CBD. Moving forward, the council aims to reinforce bylaws, though specific enforcement measures were not detailed.
The situation underscores a common dilemma for many African cities: managing informal sectors that are vital for survival yet risky when uncontrolled. For Harare, the path forward requires coordinated action between the council, police, and vendors to mitigate dangers without entirely displacing a critical livelihood source.
