Kariba upgrades vending stalls

Walter Nyamukondiwa Kariba Bureau

The upgrading of Nyamhunga market in Kariba will help in the fight against coronavirus as vendors are being moved to ventilated and spacious sites.

Other towns in Mashonaland West Province have indicated that they were looking into the volume of traffic at their markets, but ruled out immediate closure.

This comes as President Mnangagwa has indicated that Mupedzanhamo and Mbare markets could be closed to limit the number of people crowding in one place.

Vendors initially resisted the move arguing that council had sinister motives to close the market, as it had been sold to one of the major retail chains.

The new sites at Nyamhunga shops have been fenced off with modalities to move the vendors at an advanced stage.

Town clerk Mr Richard Kamhoti said plans for the relocation of the vendors were in progress.

“Council had several meetings with the vendors regarding their movement to the temporary site and we are now at the implementation stage. Modalities to move them to these sites are at an advanced stage.

“Council has constructed two temporary sites that are secured with a fence unlike in other areas where they could have operated without a security fence. We are discussing the final modalities with a committee that was selected by the tenants to lead them during this exercise,” said Mr Kamhoti.

The new sites would be able to hold more people with bays and walkways already marked to pave way for the upgrading of the old site.

“The current market shed is congested and the drainage is not up to standard hence the creation of temporary sites to pave way for the construction of the new market shed as a way to create more space and improving the drainage.

Meanwhile, Chinhoyi Municipality spokesperson Mr Tichaona Mlauzi said people should maintain social distance while avoiding crowding in one place.

“We are looking at our markets to see if they pose a threat to the safety and health of our residents.

“As of now there is no immediate cause for their closure,” he said.

Most markets in the province are not nearly as congested as the markets in Harare and other major cities.