 |
| Collen Maboke |
Clayton Shereni
MASVINGO-
Calls have been made to the local authority to erect more vending and market
stalls in the city so as to afford an opportunity to unemployed women who are
informal trading to earn a living.
Many
women and youth are unemployed and have turned to informal trading for survival
as the economy continues to worsen.
Speaking
during a Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) and Transparency, Responsiveness,
Accountability, and Citizen Engagement (TRACE) virtual meeting held last week,
participants pleaded for more market stalls to be availed for ease of doing
business.
One
of the participants, called on the local authority to heed to their calls so as
to avoid a scenario where they engage in running battles with the police.
“On
the issue of informal traders, council is not providing enough vending space
for us to sell our goods. Sometimes you go to sell in the CBD but the police
will always chase you and sometimes take whatever you will be selling. Informal
trading and vending is now our source of income and we would like to plead with
the local authority to take us into consideration because we are sending
children to school and feeding our families through informal trading,” said a
participant.
Masvingo
Mayor, Collen Maboke said a resolution had been made towards expanding market
stalls and that the local authority was targeting to construct more markets.
“A
resolution was done a long time ago targeting the improvement of market stalls
in the city. The money which we collect from vendors at our markets will be
used to construct and expand our markets,” said Maboke.
The
number of vendors especially in the CBD has ballooned due to the high economic
activity and street pavements have become the new market stalls for vendors.
Many
people have been arrested while some have had their goods taken by the police
and municipal police who will be chasing after them.
