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Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau
The re-opening of Kudzanayi Long Distance Bus Terminus was commended as a worthwhile money-spinning venture for both vendors and the contractor.
But just two months down the line, vendors say it is only the contractor that is benefiting from the project.
There are also voices of disgruntlement as a number of vendors that applied for vending bays did not get them.
Bentach Resources was given 15 years to renovate, operate and then transfer the long-distance bus terminus to Gweru City Council.
When it was re-opened, the bus terminus attracted attention from various parts of the country, with a delegation from Manicaland Province led by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Nokuthula Matsikenyere, embarking on a look and learn visit.
The project was successfully implemented after the Government directed local authorities to take advantage of the national lockdown to renovate markets and the bus terminus.
The bus terminus has over 400 vending stalls with vendors relying more on travellers as their customers.
The more the buses passing through the rank, the more the passengers and potential income for the vendors.
But movement is still restricted as the country is still under level two Covid-19 induced lockdown.
However, Bentach Resources has announced an increase in vending rentals, triggering an outcry from vendors.
“Please note that the bay fees will increase as of November 1, 2021,” Bentach management said in a notice. “The new rentals shall be as follows: perishables $400 per day, merchandise $480 per day and hardware $800 per day.”
With the country still under level two Covid-19 induced lockdown, there isn’t much business that is being brought into the long-distance bus terminus to complement the high rentals the vendors are being made to pay.
When it was opened, Gweru City Council, the owners of the rank, said they had reached an agreement where any increase in charges would be discussed first with Bentach Resources before anything is effected, a process the local authority says wasn’t done.
Zimbabwe Chamber for Small-to-Medium Enterprises Gweru chapter chairperson Mr Tafadzwa Mazorodze condemned the hike, saying it was a burden to the informal traders.
“I don’t think the increase is justified at the moment considering that the country is still reeling under the negative effects of Covid-19 induced lockdown,” he said.
“Honestly, who would be able to raise such an amount when one is selling vegetables or even hardware? I think it would have been proper if the contractors had waited until such a time when the economy recovered and more money was in circulation before effecting the new rentals.”
Mrs Marian Shumba, a vegetable vendor, said Bentach Resources expects her to fork out over $12 000 per month, a figure she said is beyond her means.
“When council engaged this company, we were told that they had the poor at heart,” she said. “It seems they were to chase us away and bring in outsiders.
“Remember, we had to fight hard to be allocated these vending stalls, they wanted to give mostly people from Harare whom they said had money. So, I think Kudzanayi is no longer a viable place for us as vendors and we need assistance as a matter of urgency.”
Gweru mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said council had set up a committee made up of councillors to engage Bentach Resources over the increase.
“As GCC, I can confirm that we have received a lot of objections from the vendors and other organisations that look after the needs of these small to medium enterprises,” he said.
“We have since put in place a committee of councillors who are supposed to go and negotiate with the contractor in the hope that the new proposed increase is not effected.”
Clr Makombe said when a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the local authority and Bentach, part of the agreement was that the bus terminus would be pro-poor and any increases in rentals would be discussed between the two parties.
“It seems they just decided to increase the vending space without consulting us and we hope we reach a positive agreement for a win-win situation between the company and the vendors,” said Clr Makombe.
Bentach Resources project manager David Kudakwashe could not be reached for comment yesterday.
A representative of Bentach Resources yesterday said, on condition of anonymity, that the increase was necessitated by the prevailing economic environment.
“This has been necessitated by an increase in Bentach pricing index that takes into account micro-economic factors,” the official said.
Online Reporter