Chronicle EditorPatrick Chitumba, [email protected]
GWERU City Council (GCC) has identified land near its administration offices in Mtapa suburb to accommodate vendors operating at undesignated points in Mtapa market.
This move follows an ultimatum issued by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, calling for the removal of vendors as part of efforts to restore order and reduce crime in urban areas.
In 2021, vendors at Kudzanayi long-distance bus terminus and Kombayi fresh produce markets complied with a Government directive to vacate their trading spaces, enabling renovations to take place.
Following these upgrades, Kudzanayi now accommodates buses, travellers, and traders selling refreshments, fruits, and clothing.
However, the situation at Mtapa market remains unresolved, with over 1 000 vendors — 400 specialising in fresh produce and 600 selling various items — set to be relocated to the new site.
The proposed relocation site is adjacent to Mtapa Police Station and opposite Mtapa Cemetery.
However, it lacks essential infrastructure such as running water, ablution facilities, vending stalls, and bays.
Gweru Mayor Councillor Martin Chivhoko stated that the council plans to complete the relocation before Independence Day.
“The vendors have been deemed illegal due to concerns over safety and order. The council relocated traders to that market at the height of Covid-19 to decongest marketplaces in the central business district,” he said.
“Unfortunately, due to the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions, the number of traders there increased.”
Clr Chivhoko added that the council had registered 638 vendors and had informed them of the relocation plans through notices and engagement meetings.
To prepare the new site, GCC will hire equipment for land levelling, gravel dumping, and compaction.
Engineering teams will peg vending bays and construct a demonstration stall to ensure usability. Despite these plans, some vendors have expressed dissatisfaction with the relocation site’s lack of amenities.
Ms Angeline Zivanai, secretary of the Midlands Vendors Association (MVA) and a vendor at Mtapa for five years, criticised the proposed site.
“The area is not ideal because it lacks running water, ablution facilities, and vending stalls,” she said.
Similarly, Gweru Hawkers and Traders Association chairperson Mr Lovemore Tingaka urged the council to provide adequate market stalls.
“We appreciate the council’s efforts to regularise informal trading for safety reasons, but we request more stalls due to the growing number of informal traders,” he said.
GCC spokesperson Ms Vimbayi Chingwaramusee confirmed that night vendors had been removed from the streets around OK and Pick n Pay supermarket pavements in line with the ministerial directive.
However, she noted that some defiant traders continue to play “cat-and-mouse” games with municipal police.
Online Reporter