Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
INFORMAL traders have urged the Victoria Falls City Council to upgrade the Chinotimba Market.
Vendors who sell different wares such as clothes, electrical gadgets, jewellery and cosmetics among others, said the market is in a bad state and its roof is leaking.
The perimeter fence has also been vandalised and as such there is no security.
The vendors said if council has no resources to upgrade the market, it could lease the facility to them so that they can fund the upgrading.
They said the other alternative was for council to allocate them land where they can build a new market.
“The market is just too old hence the structure is falling apart and therefore urgently needs to be rehabilitated,” said Mr Ian Sibanda, chairperson of Chinotimba Flea Market Association.
There are more than 300 vending stalls at the market and less than 100 are occupied.
Each vendor pays about $400 rent a month to council and it costs $300 to renew a licence to operate at the market.
One of the informal traders, Ms Gugulethu Ndlovu, said vendors want a place where they can permanently operate from and were willing to maintain the place.
Informal traders such as curio vendors and flea market operators are some of the businesses that were disrupted by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many residents who are avoiding paying rentals have opened mini-flea markets at their houses.
The other places where vendors are operating from are Comesa Market popularly known as Emaplankeni and Maminza Mall, which are privately-owned.
– @ncubeleon
Online Reporter