admin
Herald Reporter
GOVERNMENT has pledged to provide non-collateral loans to help traders at Mbare Musika Market in Harare to get back on their feet after their stalls and goods were destroyed by fire on Tuesday night.
Authorities are also mobilising funds for the construction of a world-class market, that is safe and secure.
To sustain their livelihoods, some of the traders have been allowed to resume operations while sprucing up the market that was reduced to ashes.
This short-term solution will see traders returning to their original trading sites with makeshift stalls. It is also meant to avoid deadly clashes among traders that were once witnessed at Mupedzanhamo flea market after its closure and reopening last year.
Goods worth thousands of dollars are estimated to have been lost in the inferno that razed down Mbare Traders Market, affecting about 5 000 traders.
Mbare Musika, one of Zimbabwe’s largest and most iconic markets, was burnt on Tuesday night leaving hundreds of traders devastated and livelihoods shattered.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Goods worth thousands of dollars are estimated to have been lost in the inferno that razed down Mbare Traders Market, affecting about 5 000 traders.
As of yesterday in the morning, roads leading to the market were barricaded while traders were milling around the area with a handful of people selected to clear rubble and ashes.
Despite the devastating fire, traders are resiliently working towards recovery and, some traders were seen salvaging retrievable items from the debris.
Addressing the traders in Mbare yesterday, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province Charles Tavengwa said Government was engaging the Empower Bank to assist the traders with non-collateral loans.
“There is no way we will fold our hands when there is such a problem. We have to come and assist because our role is to empower them generally.
“We have to permit them to start operations, that is the short-term solution, and then there has to be a medium-term solution where we have to start mobilising funds for reconstruction,” he said.
According to Mbare market chairperson Mr Isaac Madimbire, the traders are ready to start operations.
A youth trader, Mr Shepherd Pekejini, thanked the Government for the swift intervention.
“Once we finish clearing, we will be resuming our operations immediately. If the market remains closed, people will struggle because we live from hand to mouth,” he said.
A youth trader, Mr Shepherd Pekejini, thanked the Government for the swift intervention.
“We are grateful for the green light to re-open, as you can see people are making preparations to start tomorrow (today).
“If it was going to be next week, there was going to be disaster with peers engaging in drugs and space barons grabbing the area,” he said.
Zanu PF Harare provincial chairperson Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa said the position of the party is that those who were operating in the market must continue to do so taking into account issues of safety.
“People are already doing the best they can to clean the place taking into account security issues, there are concrete pillars there which may not look safe and so on, but all that is being attended to,” he said.
“We do not condone the language of saying let us close the place and re-register giving way for criminals to come in and cause disorder. Business will continue with the necessary adjustments because of the current unfortunate situation.”
Online Reporter