Sundaymail Editor
A dimpled young woman was showing me some suits that were on sale in a dingy shop in downtown Harare when her colleague, who was selling sadza in the next shop, came panting and covered in sweat.
She rested her elbows on the makeshift counter to compose herself before she started recounting her ordeal.
It was clear something was wrong.
When she finally regained her composure, she narrated how someone had bought four plates of sadza from her using fake notes.
This is how it is in downtown Harare, where you often find traders selling goods and services under one roof.
Sexual harassment in its various forms is not uncommon in these shops, while foul language is the norm.
Those who sell car batteries, day-old chicks, motor oils and school uniforms can all be found operating in the same space. You can also find traditional healers and self-styled beauticians in the same area.
It is now not unusual to walk into those tiny shops — popularly known as malls, China shops or tuckshops — to find vendors preparing meals for sale in one corner, and others fixing gearboxes in the other.
One wonders what type of licences these people have.
Clearly, public health and safety are not being prioritised in these areas simply because one cannot sell meals in the same premises where herbicides are also sold.
“Mudhara, kuno kunonzi kuno; a lot happens in these malls. People selling all sorts of things, be they legal or illegal, are operating from this area. Fake foreign currency dealers are based in this area,” a female shop attendant told this writer.
“When I first came here, I was very respectful and calculated almost every word that came from my mouth, but this is no longer the case. People here use bad language and do a lot of abhorrent things. The bottom line is that we need to survive and there is nothing we can do.”
She said apart from selling various goods on display like cellphones and baby wear, illicit drugs and sex are also found in these tiny shops that have mushroomed in downtown Harare.
“In this area, there are some people who don’t think about tomorrow. All we do here is try to make the dollar on time, and people can do anything. This place is also full of predators who abuse young girls and target newcomers to steal from them. Forget about CCTVs, some people here are daring,” she added.
In this dog-eat-dog part of the city, ruthlessness is part of the game.
Some people are made to work but are not paid for days or months on end.
It can be worse if one loses wares to thieves, as employers usually deduct their losses from the meagre wages shopkeepers get.
“My brother, life in these shops is not easy. When you lose goods to thieves or fail to account for them, money is deducted from your wage without even a hearing. Some of the employers here have a history of bashing workers, even for the slightest mistake. If you are not strong, at times you are subjected to sexual abuse by the same employers, who force you to sleep with them or their relatives,” said an attendant who only identified herself as Chihera.
To augment their poor earnings, she said, most workers play rounds or secretly buy stock for sale in these establishments.
“Food is everywhere, and if you love food, you can work for nothing as there is always someone selling something at every moment. Fights normally break out because of failure to honour debts, gossip or love triangles,” quipped another shop attendant, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
She said they now know common criminals who frequent the shops and they are ever vigilant to avoid being victims.
Quite a lot is happening in those tiny shops that have mushroomed in the capital.
Inotambika mughetto.
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