Online Reporter
WHEN the Mbare Musika traders market went up in flames in October last year, thousands were devastated, having lost both their meagre stocks and the stalls where they could legally do business.
The Government stepped in promptly, President Mnangagwa declaring a state of disaster which immediately allowed central Government to intervene despite the market being in a municipal area. The thrust of the intervention was not just to help the stallholders get back into business, but to take advantage of the fire and build something a lot better, a proper modern market complex.
It quickly became obvious that the site, the customer demand and the number of potential traders would allow a centrepiece three-storey market. Meanwhile, the existing stallholders needed somewhere to trade, and a subsidiary site round the corner was allocated for a temporary market.
A proper structure was quickly planned and built, and will be officially opened this week by President Mnangagwa. Although described as a “temporary market”, it is a proper permanent structure and while able to accommodate several thousand traders, is smaller than the eventual permanent main market structure. The main advantage of this structure is that it could be built a lot quicker than the main market.
The President will, at the official opening, be delivering on his promises, not only with a decent market already built but also with the ground breaking ceremony for the far grander main market.
But the traders will already have somewhere suitable, safe and respectable to trade from, and it will be important to keep the market that way. There is an ideal opportunity to work out the organisation and what is needed to maintain a proper market structure, and here those responsible for administering the structure and those holding the stalls need to work together.
There are certain past problems that need never to recur. For a start, any attempt by criminals in the guise of space barons need to be barred, along with any attempt at sub-letting. Whoever is administering the market needs to be hair-shirted honest, and totally immune to corrupt activity and ready to prevent any emergence of such activity.
Private sector markets tend to flourish, but Harare City Council has a poor record. It will be essential, however, that the final administration is worked out, and Government maintains at least a strong watching brief to prevent any sign of dishonesty.
To keep costs down and stall fees low, stallholders will need to maintain the cleanliness of the market, each making sure their own stall is immaculate while co-operating on aisles and common areas. When you start off with something brand new, the standard is easy to set.
Besides offering a proper market space, this “temporary” market also offers the opportunity to work out and adjust all the administration and co-operation requirements of the far larger main market that will now be built, and will have space for new people who perhaps do not know each other nearly so well as those who were together before the fire.
As newcomers are granted stalls, it should be possible to make it explicitly clear just how things work and just how everyone needs to behave.
It will probably be useful to look at a proper licensing regime for the very small businesses that need a market building. Licensing would be useful in conjunction with the stall allocation records, but cannot and must not be pricey. A very simple and cheap licence, something like the old municipal hawkers licence perhaps but with a monthly fee, would move the stallholders into the ranks of the formal sector, albeit on the bottom rung of that ladder.
While most of the businesses at the market will be too small to attract tax, Zimra could still take a look at the larger concerns. In any case since registering for tax is free, or should be free, perhaps it would be a good idea to get the stallholders to start registering, even if their assessed taxes are zero or close to zero. The point is to start the formalisation process so that as tiny businesses grow into small businesses, they are already in the system.
Meanwhile, as the new three-storey complex is being built, thought needs to be given to the future use of the complex the President opens on Friday. It might be described as a temporary market, but it is a good-quality permanent structure.
There are many possibilities, some linked with the general upgrade of Mbare now starting. As tourism increases and Zimbabweans become prouder of their own cultures and traditions, there would seem to be need for a decent central arts and craftwork market, and as the ordinary traders move out into their own large complex, there would be something really suitable already built.
But, however Mbare market space continues to be developed, the Government has delivered on its promises to build something modern and upmarket, and is supporting a better future for thousands of people in Mbare.
