Sten Zvorwadza, National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ) Chairperson
By Dickson Bandera
HARARE – Chairperson of the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe (NAVUZ), Sten Zvorwadza, has defended street vendors against accusations of bribery, saying they are victims of coercion rather than willing participants in corruption.
Zvorwadza was responding to questions on why some vendors offer bribes to law enforcement agents instead of allowing the law to take its course when arrested.
He said the vendors are being exploited by law enforcement officers.
“Let’s be brutally honest: vendors are not bribers—they are victims of coercion. This is not a two-way pact of convenience; it is a one-way highway of exploitation,” said Zvorwadza, denying any criminal liability on the part of vendors in the corruption cases that have become common.
He added, “Vendors are cornered into submission—forced to part with their hard-earned money to avoid unjust arrests, confiscation, or violence. This is extortion dressed up as bribery.”
“To claim that vendors are equal participants is to dangerously misrepresent the power dynamics at play. Vendors operate in survival mode, often without legal protection or recognition, while uniformed officers wield authority with unchecked impunity. The narrative must shift from blaming victims to prosecuting predators,” he said.
His comments come after two police officers, Constables Mupandira and Chirengendure were arrested in Harare last week following the circulation of a video showing one of them accepting money from a handcuffed vendor whom she then released.
Commenting on the arrests, Zvorwadza said they vindicated his longstanding concerns about corruption.
“The recent arrest of the two officers is a long-overdue but welcomed confirmation of what we, as NAVUZ, have been saying for years: corruption is deeply embedded within the Zimbabwe Republic Police. While we welcome this development, we must be clear—this is not an isolated incident; it is merely the tip of the iceberg.
“These arrests validate the countless reports we have submitted, the letters we’ve written to the Commissioner-General, and the voices of thousands of harassed vendors across Zimbabwe,” he said.
“For the broader vendor community, it signals that our resistance is not in vain. But arrests must not be symbolic—they must lead to systemic reform, real accountability, and ongoing prosecution of offenders, not scapegoating or cover-ups,” he added.
