Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
MORE than 400 informal traders whose livelihoods were disrupted by the demolition of illegal structures at Mpopoma Outspan Furniture Manufacturing complex are appealing for alternative workspace and the return of confiscated goods, as Government engages Bulawayo City Council over their plight.
The traders, who include youths, school dropouts and elderly people, fear losing their businesses and facing demands from customers who paid deposits for furniture orders before council removed their materials and finished products during Monday’s demolition exercise.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube visited the complex, popularly known as Espamprikeni, accompanied by members of the Joint Operations Command (JOC), to hear the traders’ grievances and explore possible solutions.
Minister Ncube said the visit exposed serious overcrowding at the facility, which has grown from about 100 to more than 400 operators, with only two toilets serving the entire workforce. “On
what happened yesterday (Monday), we were not even aware as well, but it has happened.
The visit revealed severe overcrowding at the facility, which has grown from about 100 to 200 operators to over 400, with only two toilets,” said the Minister.
“Having noticed that, we had to go there together with the JOC members. Of interest was that those people are really admitting that they used to have a smaller number, 100, 200 and something.
But now, they are far above 400, with only two toilets, one for males, one for females, and that alone is a health hazard.”
She said the traders acknowledged that some structures had been erected without following council procedures, but urged authorities to consider their circumstances and seek an amicable solution.
“They do agree that they did construct some structures without going through the normal procedures, which is very good. You know, when you are so angry and when you approach the person and all are on the wrong side or right side, but if you reason and listen to the people, you can easily solve these things amicably. This is what we did. We had gone there just to listen to the people,” said Minister Ncube.
The Minister said the facility had also become a source of livelihood and rehabilitation for vulnerable young people, with traders accommodating youths struggling with drug and substance abuse and keeping them occupied through productive work.
“They said, they sometimes receive young people who are into drugs, and when they go there, they don’t chase them away. They accommodate them, which is very good and they are proposing that
if they can get a bigger space, they will accommodate a lot of young people. Some of them have already left the drugs because they are always busy from that facility,” she said.
However, the immediate concern for the traders is the loss of materials and finished products removed during the demolition, with some saying they used customers’ deposits to purchase materials for orders that are now at risk of not being delivered.
“The other appeal that they made was: we are not capacitated, we are not empowered as such, we have some skills, we rely on people who come here, pay a deposit for one to produce what would have been ordered by that customer. But all these things were collected by the council. How do I pay the customer, because it is the customer who had to pay the deposit for me to go and buy the material. The customer is expecting a finished product. How best can the Government assist us?” said Minister Ncube.
She said Government was engaging the local authority and hoped it would consider the traders’ proposals.
“That’s where we are, we are trying to engage with a local authority and I’m hoping the local authority will be in a way of also looking into it. Let’s look into these things, look into these proposals positively in order for us as a province to move forward. That’s what we want as Government.”
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Outspan Association chairperson Mr Sorobhi Chivizhe said the traders had repeatedly approached council seeking alternative land because the existing facility could no longer accommodate the growing number of operators.
“We appeal to the local authority to speed up the process to provide us with workspace. We were promised that we will get space at Kelvin industrial area, so we are still waiting for that, or allocate us other places that are viable,” said Mr Chivizhe.
He said council had indicated that it wanted to reduce the number of people operating from the facility, but traders had nowhere else to go.
“Here we work with youths, school drop outs and the elderly. Some are drug addicts who come here, we give them things to do and they end up leaving drugs, as they remain busy here.
“Bulawayo has been an industrial hub, but industries are not functioning at full capacity and these small places offer people jobs to feed their families.”
Meanwhile, the City of Bulawayo has postponed the commencement of Operation Hlanzeka, which was scheduled to start last Sunday, to allow further engagement with informal traders and other stakeholders.
In a notice, the local authority said the operation would resume in two weeks, giving traders operating from undesignated areas time to relocate to designated sites, remove illegal structures and move their wares.
The council said trading from road servitudes, parking bays and pavements remained prohibited, urging all micro, small and medium enterprises to comply with municipal by-laws and move their businesses to designated trading areas.
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