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Mkhululi Ncube, Chronicle Reporter
CURIO producers and traders who use cattle horns to produce various artifacts mostly for export say they are yet to recover from Covid-19 induced challenges.
The traders who operate at Kelvin North in Bulawayo produce a variety of products such as key holders, salt shakers, drink openers, and decorated horns for display in houses and hotels.
While they mainly do business to earn a living, the traders also play a crucial role in maintaining a clean environment as they use bones and horns, which would have otherwise been dumped in the open.
Mr Johan Bhebhe who has been a curio trader since 2001, said Covid-19 hit their business hard.
“Since the outbreak of Covid-19, we have been facing challenges because we sell most of our products to foreign markets.
During the pandemic we struggled to export our products as borders were closed,” he said.
“While borders have opened for most countries, we are still facing challenges getting clearances to resume exports. The outbreak of Foot and Mouth in the country has also made things difficult, as some countries don’t want cattle products from Zimbabwe.
“We have to produce clearances from veterinary departments but to get that is cumbersome,” said Mr Bhebhe.
He said their exports were mainly destined for South Africa where they are picked up by those who sell to international buyers.
At the moment, Mr Bhebhe said the local market remains subdued due to various traditional beliefs, which associate some of their products with witchcraft.
“We have few people who buy our products locally as many associate these horns with witchcraft. Some fear that kuzathiwa ulophondo as the horn is associated with ukuloya (witchcraft),” he said.
“The advent of witch hunters called Wafawafa and Tsikamutanda has made things worse for us because once they see these in homes they see an opportunity to make money by insinuating that such a person is a witch.”
Mr Bhebhe said what is also affecting their growth is that they do not have an association that represents their interests, which means there is no coordination in their work. He said they also needed funding to boost their activities as they were operating below their potential.
“It is difficult to operate without an association hence we do not grow. As it is we are in need of capital to boost our operations to meet our demands but because we operate in silos, we are unable to coordinate our work,” he said.
“We do not have a proper operating place and during the rainy season, we are forced to stop operations. We need machinery as well because sometimes our customers give us specific orders, which we fail to come up with due to that.”
Another trader Mr Mhlonitshwa Masuku said they have not made any gains after the outbreak of Covid-19 as the market has remained subdued, which has seen most of them failing to make a breakthrough.
“These days there is no money and things are not good, the business is low and since the outbreak of Covid-19, we are down. We need financial support to boost our trade so that we can boost our raw materials and some of our needs,” he said.
“The closure of ostrich farms has also affected us as we used to get their egg-shells to use in producing some of their artifacts.”
Mr Masuku said they sell the little they produce to local buyers and to cross border traders who sell them in South Africa.
Another trader Mr Obert Chauke who has been in the trade for 10 years, said they buy the horns mainly at Mbokodo Abattoirs on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
He said they have not approached banks as they do not know how to go about it.
“We buy each horn for about US$0,20, which is fair but at the moment we are in need of capital. We once had an association, which represented us but it went defunct,” said Mr Chauke.
“We wish the Government could avail loans so that we boost our business. Our peak season is usually around March and we hope this new year will bring with it new fortunes for us.” — @themkhust
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