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Abel Zhakata
Senior Reporter
THE Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Nokuthula Matsikenyeri has urged Mutare City Council to move with speed in upgrading vending markets to enable vendors to occupy their stalls in line with Covid-19 set standards.
Speaking during a tour of Chidzere and Sakubva markets early this week, Minister Matsikenyeri said the available market space is inadequate to accommodate all the prospective vendors, adding that more land needs to be identified for more stalls.
“We thank the City of Mutare for doing a good job in rehabilitating the market places. The local authority is trying hard to ensure that vendors are accommodated. However, the problem is on the shortage of land. Vending stalls need to be built in a spacious manner in line with Covid-19 regulations that promote physical distancing.
“The council has opened up several areas, but as it stands not everyone on the waiting list will be accommodated. Now that the Mutare master plan is out, we believe the issue of more vending sites will be taken care of so that the vending sites are decongested,” said Minister Matsikenyeri.
Mutare Mayor, Councillor Blessing Tandi confirmed that there is a great demand for vending sites.
“The number of vending sites does not match the number of prospective clients who want to come in and do business. People need to understand that the vending sites are few and therefore we cannot accommodate everyone at the moment,” he said.
“The few extra stalls that were created during the rehabilitation exercise will be parcelled out in a transparent manner to registered people. Disadvantaged members of the community like disabled people will be given first preference,” said the Mayor.
He also said the local authority is finalising the construction of ablution facilities at some of the sites.
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