Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe are currently touring the Glen View Area 8 Home Industry Complex, which was gutted by fire in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The tour is expected to assess the extent of the damage and come up with long-term solutions.
Goods, machinery, and raw materials worth thousands of dollars were destroyed by the fire, leaving hundreds of informal traders counting their losses.
The fire reportedly started just after midnight and spread rapidly across the tightly packed stalls, many of which were made of wood and filled with highly flammable products.
Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud explosion before flames engulfed the area, but the cause of the fire remains unknown.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, but traders said the losses are extensive.
The complex, one of the largest informal furniture markets in Harare, has previously been affected by fire, with three major incidents reported in 2018.
Emergency services attended the scene, but traders said the response was slow and under-equipped to contain the fire in time.
Traders have since launched an appeal for assistance and are calling on the Government and the City of Harare to expedite the long-term upgrade of the complex.
The Glen View Area 8 Home Industry Complex supports hundreds of families and is a key contributor to the capital city’s informal economy.
Its repeated exposure to fire has reignited calls for structural reforms and better disaster risk management in informal trading zones.
Peter Tanyanyiwa