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Conrad Mupesa Mash West Bureau
The menace of baboons and elephants at the Kariba vegetable market is now over after devolution funds introduced by the Second Republic transforming the old vendors market into a state-of-the-art facility commissioned last week.
For years, Gogo Mbonda, a seasoned vendor at Kariba market, has had the challenge of losing her vegetable stock to baboons and other wild animals.
“I have had countless losses of my stuff to animals since the old market was not secure. This new one is all we wanted to have as vendors as it is secure and spacious,” she said.
Her experiences were also shared by Ms Samantha Chivandikwa, the Kariba Vendors Association chairperson, who summarised the challenges the vendors had been facing.
Apart from losing their wares to animals, traders have also counted loss of their stock to thieves as the security fence had been destroyed.
“It has always been a challenge to vendors to work in a very tiny and hot environment. Female vendors also faced sexual harassment from imbibers coming from the nearby beerhalls,” said Ms Chivandikwa.
“Apart from all this, many have fallen prey to thieves, but we are grateful to the Government for the funds as we now have a new market.”
The vendors said the introduction of the devolution funds had come at an opportune time as that had not only transformed the market, but was a facelift to the town.
Kariba Town Council official Mr Richard Kamhoti said besides the market, the municipality had used devolution funds to install over 200 solar street lights and buy road making equipment, with another 200 street lights yet to be installed to protect residents from marauding animals.
The market was officially opened by Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Marian Chombo, who was accompanied by United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Edward Kallon.
Minister Chombo said Kariba, and the other councils in the province, was rallying behind President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 to attain an upper middle income economy.
She said the Government was committed to ensuring that road infrastructure was traffickable, with the introduction of Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme having brought a change to roads across the country.
Minister Chombo encouraged the Kariba traders to safeguard the new market facility.
“I implore you to make sure that the facility is maintained and properly safeguarded for generations to come,” she said. “I have had a meeting with the council officials who indicated that cold storage facilities were planned so sellers could lock their stock and extend shelf life.”
Mr Kallon commended the Devolution Fund model and said the Kariba project exemplified the benefits of devolution, which aims to ensure that communities are at the forefront of their own development.
“These remarkable devolution projects in Kariba town are testament to the dedication and commitment of the Government of Zimbabwe to enhance public and social services, foster community participation, and empower communities to become the authors of their own development plans,” he said.
“On behalf of the United Nations in Zimbabwe, I would like to extend our gratitude to all those involved in making these projects a reality, and we commend the Government of Zimbabwe for its unwavering commitment to devolution.”
Online Reporter