Princess Masiiwa
Vendors plying their trade at Garikai fruit and vegetable market popularly known as Chitima are complaining over unhygienic conditions prevailing at the market.
The traders claim illegal dumping sites that have become common site pose a ticking health bomb as bad odour is now reception to their customers.
When TellZim News visited the area, Finest Mutsunemwe who had come to purchase some few food items, said the first greeting to anyone visiting the area is that of bad smell coupled with the one from nearby Mucheke stream with flowing sewage.
“On arrival at Chitima, we are greeted by the filthy and unpleasant smell that is dangerous to our hygiene,” said Mutsunemwe.
She also said the unpleasant smell from the sewage is not conducive at a place where foodstuffs are sold.
“Chitima market is not a healthy place to sell food stuffs because of the foul smell from the river,” she said.
Chipo Mukana also a vendor said they are not free to eat their food at the workplace because of the rotten tomatoes all over the place.
“We cannot freely eat our lunch because of the stinky and filthy rotten tomatoes and fruits that are thrown everywhere,” said Mukana.
She also said some customers are not comfortable buying fruits and food stuffs at a place that is unhygienic, therefore they are losing customers because of that.
“We are losing customers because some do not want to buy food stuffs at a place that stinks and is filthy. Council sometimes do not collect garbage thus leading to high numbers of flies at the market,” she added.
Peter Gudoshava who plies his trade at the same market said their health is at risk as many people share a single toilet.
“Dirty toilets are the order of the day here and that makes us vulnerable to diseases like cholera because of the flies,” said Gudoshava.
He also said despite the fact that they pay monthly rates to council, the latter neglects their welfare.
“We pay money to council but there are no improvements or solutions to such problems,” said Gudoshava.
Garikai fruit and vegetable market chairperson Tamisai Katini said council has been reluctant in heeding to their complaints of dirty toilets and uncollected refuse.
“We are facing so many challenges here because council is not doing their work to make sure that toilets are cleaned on a daily basis and some of the refuse has been uncollected for a very long time,” said Katini.
She also said about four weeks ago they had a meeting with council management and told them the problems they are facing but no action has been taken so far.
“We had a meeting with city council about four weeks ago and up to now they have not done anything to make sure that our problems are solved,” said Katini.
Council Acting Chief Environmental Health officer Ngonidzashe Mapamula said council makes sure that they perform all their duties every week.
“We do our duties every week and if we encounter any challenges, we collect the refuse manually,” said Mapamula.
He also said they are engaging ward 8 health clubs in reproducing part of the waste into money.
“We are engaging with ward 8 health clubs in reproducing part of the waste into money,” said Mapamula.
He also said the community have to take responsibility and avoid throwing garbage at unauthorised places and start blaming council.
“The community has to take full responsibility and avoid throwing litter everywhere and put the blame on council,” added Mapamula.
