Six Bulawayo supermarkets renovated

Melinda Ncube, Sunday News Reporter
THE Government has assisted business people to renovate six supermarkets in Bulawayo that were destroyed by unruly elements during the January 2019 riots.

The illegal demonstrations that were organised by organisations linked to the opposition, MDC-Alliance saw unscrupulous individuals destroying and looting a number of supermarkets in the city, which left residents having to travel to the Central Business District to do their shopping.

Speaking during a tour of some of the facilities yesterday, Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister and prominent Bulawayo businessman Cde Raji Modi said that Government contributed to the renovations through assisting the owners of the buildings with loans.

“The Government gave a loan to the supermarket which belongs to the War Veterans Cooperation in Lobengula West to assist with the needed facilities,” said Cde Modi.

He said as the business community they joined hands and made a deal out of interest in which he had to contribute US$30 000 for other expenses such as labour and some of the works that needed to be sorted out.

Cde Modi said owners were to pay a certain percentage over a period of time including rental fees, plumbing and some electrical installations in which they needed to continue with the renovations.

He said that one of the supermarkets in Lobengula West, Mountain View area, will start operating on Monday under his Sai Mart brand and they have spent about three months renovating the building.

The re-opening of supermarkets in the city seeks to further increase employment, bring income, increase Government’s revenue and boost the economy that has been crippled by Covid-19.

“This innovation will unburden people from this area who have been walking long distances to shop groceries and they will benefit a lot from this since they would be buying their groceries locally,” he said.

Apart from Mountain View others that have been renovated include Tilus, Sai Mart Nketa 6 and Sai Mart Lobengula Street, in the Central Business District.