…causes of fire yet to be established
Perpetua Murungweni
46 vendors were left devastated after they lost their wares at the Chitima Market Inferno that destroyed goods in the evening of June 24.
Of the 46, 39 are women and 7 are men.
The cause of fire is yet to be established but victims suspect that the fire could have been caused by ambers in a charcoal heater that might have been left on within the premises.
A number of vendors use charcoal heaters in the market to warm themselves as well as sealing plastic packs of kapenta fish, maputi and soya chunks.
They also suspect that someone could have thrown a glowing stub of cigarette that might have resulted into the fire that destroyed goods worth thousands of dollars.
Some of the victims are appealing to well-wishers and authorities to help them with something to help them get back on their feet and resume business as they solely depend on it for their families’ survival.
“We are appealing to well-wishers who can help us in cash or kind so that we get back on our feet. As vendors most of us depend on the small profits that we make here and as it stands were left with nothing,”
“I lost three 90 kg bags of mopane worms, five 90 kg bags of dried vegetables soya chunks and some groceries that I was selling which cost around US $600,” said Jenifer Matorore.
Lydia Charambira said she lost 500 packs of snacks, 100 x10kgs of mealie meal and four 50kg bags of Soya Chunks.
“I lost close to US $1200 altogether because I had 500 packs of zappy snacks which cost US $1.30 each and 100 by 10kg mealie meal which cost US $5 each. I lost everything and now I cannot even afford bus fare for my child to school,” said Charambira.
Another victim Wanisai Pamire said the incident was a huge loss because she depended entirely on buying and selling goods, pays all her bills and feed her kids from the business.
“I lost a lot of staff that include bales of second hand clothes, stationery and some food stuff. I survive on vending and I have invested a lot of money on my goods and now that I have lost everything I don’t know how I am going to take care of my family,” said Pamire.
It is a sad situation for one Gibson Tivakudze who said he had recently graduated from push carts to vending in Chitima and lost everything only after three months into the trade.
“I used to make a living from push carts in town and I saved some money from that, managed to start a small business from it, and within three months of establishing here, I now have nothing,” said Tivakudze.
Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke, his deputy Wellington Mahwende, and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira visited the scene on Monday and Mahwende who is eyeing Masvingo Urban constituency in the August 23 elections under Zanu PF ticket promised to construct temporary stalls for the vendors.
Maboke is also eyeing the same seat as an independent candidate.
