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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau
Every city, town or village has its historical relics and/or folklore, passed from generation to generation, for, no day passes without history.
The Midlands city of Gweru has — outside its fame for chilly weather and grubby roundabouts that slow everything — one and a rather well-known hilarious piece of antiquity about a one-timer from the Harare to have a savoury welcome.
Legend has it that upon disembarking from a bus at Kudzanai Long Distance Bus terminus in Gweru, this one-timer elderly woman seeking some help and directions to Mkoba — went straight to catch a ramshackle kombi to Mkoba village 11.
As the kombi screeched to a crawl, burying one roundabout after the other, puffing and huffing its way to Mkoba 11, a pungent smell wafted in and engulfed the kombi as it passed by Bata Shoe Company Factory.
The stench left every commuter with a cringe, a grim and indeed a wonder of triggered the stomach air that announced itself in smell.
With the situation in the kombi becoming even tense, the driver of the kombi calmed the situation and shouted, “Its Bata!” meaning to the unpleasant smell was coming from Bata Shoe company which then stocked mounds and mounds of cattle hides, the primary raw material in the manufacture of shoes.
As everyone commented to the kombi driver’s statement, the elderly woman from Harare who misunderstood the driver meant the pungent smell was from some commuter who could have consumed too much ‘peanut butter’ is said to have then quipped, “why do people eat butter when they know it causes this?” sending the whole kombi into delirium.
It is a common smell that grips the passersby to the western suburbs of Gweru as they pass through Bata Shoe Company, the cattle hides, which are being used by the giant company in the making of shoes will be going under some treatment and in the process, emitting some un-pleasant smell.
It’s part of production!
This is the common story of Bata Shoe Company, at one point the country’s sole manufacturer of shoes before the advent of other companies and counterfeit imports.
The shoe company which has over 60 branches in Zimbabwe used to employ over 1 500 employees at its peak and when looking for original shoes, one would look for Bata shoe company’s products. It used to manufacture one of the best shoes for the industry, mine, school and sportswear, formal, you name them.
Bata was a brand and it remains one of the world’s the brand and Gweru, Zimbabwe’s sole factory.
Times have changed, imports have invaded the country, counterfeits hitting the market but Bata Shoe Company has managed to stand the test of time. Despite the harsh economic condition, the multinational company is still fighting for relevance in Zimbabwe, and the company’s managing director, Mr Simon Mutisya is adamant the company still has its luster.
Amid the defiance by management, the Covid 19 pandemic could have come as another blow to the company which has been battling competition in the footwear industry.
“We are equally affected by the Covid-19 and the lockdown measures that was taken by most countries across the globe. Our major suppliers (of raw materials) are in South Africa and they are also on lock down.
“So due to lack of raw materials, we are operating with a skeletal staff of only 150 employees,” said Mr Mutisya who was briefing Midlands Provincial Covid-19 taskforce recently.
Despite the challenges in raw materials and the economic down turn brought about by the A company which under the global pandemic, the company has soldiered on.
He said the factory will be only operating the gumboots section and were also introducing a new section which produces face masks
“We are only opening the gumboots section because we believe it’s a critical sector.”
Online Reporter