Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
MORE than 200 informal traders from Bulawayo’s Mutize Flea Market, which was destroyed in a devastating fire in August resumed their business activities last week.
The market, also known as “Little Musina,” was reduced to ashes in the inferno, leaving more than 200 traders who were operating at the facility stranded.
However, the market has since been redesigned and reconstructed, and the traders have recommenced their operations.
A 35-year-old Bulawayo Polytechnic and National University of Science and Technology architect graduate Mr Adams Mapingire designed the new market and is managing the project.
Mr Mapingire also designed Crown Jewel Conference Centre, a state-of-the-art facility owned by Harvest House International Church in Selbourne Brooke.
In an interview with Sunday News last Friday, Mr Mapangire said the Mutize Market rehabilitation exercise was being done in phases with the first phase now complete and paving way for business to resume.
“We are building the structure in phases. Currently we have completed the first phase which was putting the super structure and the ground side. “We are completing the partitioning of the ground floor and the traders have moved in to commence business.
“The second phase will be doing the decking for the first floor which will accommodate offices for the staff as well as restaurants and a few stalls. On the ground floor we have the stalls, ablution facilities, storage areas as well as few offices,” said Mr Mapangire.
Sunday News visited the facility on Thursday and witnessed a hive of activity as people were doing Christmas shopping.
Mr Mapingire said they have set up a number of measures to protect the structure from disasters which include a financial system that will protect them from more losses.
“Prior to the fire, people used to pay all the rent money to the office and was at times kept there.
“Traders also used to hide their money in their stalls and as a result many people lost huge sums of money when that area burnt up.
“We have set up an efficient system that will see rentals being deposited in a bank, no moneys will be kept at the market. We have also engaged insurance companies to insure the building and lobby the stall owners to be insured.
“In terms of protecting the structure, we have made use of fire alarm systems as well as sprinklers. We have also compartmentalised the building, meaning that it is split into smaller units so that, in case of a fire, it remains confined to a particular zone,” said Mr Mapangire.
Meanwhile, 233 traders from the market benefited from interventions by various stakeholders under the Emergency Relief and Support to Mutize Market Fire Disaster Intervention.
Bulawayo Vendors and Trader Association (BVTA) projects officer Ms Bakani Ncube unpacked some of the interventions to Sunday News.
“Together with other stakeholders we had a three months’ intervention called the Emergency Relief and Support to Mutize Market Fire Disaster. We had BVTA, Dan Church Aid, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Local Government, Civil Protection Unit and Bulawayo City Council.
“The intervention included a component where they underwent trainings, which were focused on psycho-social support, disaster risk reduction, business training which covered diversification financial literacy and also did business and health clinics where we collaborated with institutions or organisations that are doing activities or services for the informal sector,” said Ms Ncube.
She revealed that the Dan Church Aid was supporting the beneficiaries by giving them US$100 for three months.
One of the traders, Mrs Oppah Mataswa expressed her gratitude towards the support they got from various stakeholders saying they were happy to resume operations.
“We are very happy that we are going back into our market. We hope to make the best out of it since we are approaching the festive season. We really want to appreciate the support that we got from various stakeholders as well as the owner of the market who has given us a two months’ rental reprieve,” said Ms Ncube.
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