Chronicle Editor
Online writer
HARARE, Zimbabwe – In the wake of a destructive fire that ravaged the Mbare Traders Market on October 8, 2024, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has declared a State of Disaster.
According to a Press Statement from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, the unfortunate inferno “razed the whole retail section and parts of the wholesale market, affected over 4 000 traders whose livelihoods have been negatively impacted.”
The declaration, made under Section 27(1) of the Civil Protection Act, will “assist in mobilising necessary resources, in cash and in kind, to support the rebuilding of the market as well as assist affected entrepreneurs resuscitate their businesses.”
The Government, in collaboration with the private sector and other stakeholders, “is working flat out to build back better.”
The devastating fire has significantly damaged the Mbare Traders Market, a vital hub of economic activity in the capital city. The government’s swift action in declaring a state of disaster underscores the urgency of supporting the affected traders and restoring the market to its former functionality.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter