The Sunday Mail
Tanyaradzwa Rusike
ZIMBABWE tomorrow joins the rest of the world in commemorating Workers’ Day, which is set aside to celebrate the important role the worker plays in the development of countries.
However, some workers rarely get the recognition they deserve, particularly those in Zimbabwe’s informal sector, who — despite their resilience, industriousness and toil — are often unacknowledged.
For the past 14 years, Ms Anna Kamukosi has worked as a vendor on the streets of Harare. Currently, she operates on Seke Road, near the Delta Beverages Coca Cola factory, where the 36-year-old has carved a name for herself because of her impressive dressing.
The mother of five takes pride in her profession and appearance. This, she says, is bringing more returns to her business.
“I accepted that vending is my profession and I have to properly dress just like what teachers, accountants and doctors do in their professions,” she said with a smile.
“The other reason is I sell food and, for someone to buy, it means you have to be properly dressed. This has been beneficial to me because I have created a name for myself and most people are now buying because of how I dress.”
Despite her immaculate dressing, Ms Kamukosi’s story is that of dogged resilience and determination.
She is driven by a strong desire to provide for her family.
“I started selling on the streets of Harare in 2009. I worked as a vendor at Zimpapers for six years, selling newspapers at Coca Cola. When I left Zimpapers, I continued with my vending since I did not have any qualifications to apply for a formal job,” she said. Her vision is to open a grocery shop but her capital is too little for such a “big venture”.
“I get approximately US$10 profit a day, which allows me to buy food for my children and take them to school, with the help of my husband, who is a kombi driver,” she said.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), at least 84 percent of the economically active population of Zimbabwe is employed or self-employed within the formal or informal sectors.
The ILO further estimates that almost 5,2 million people trade in the informal economy in Zimbabwe, 65 percent of whom are women. Women are more exposed to informal employment in most low and lower middle-income countries and are more often found in the most vulnerable situations, the global labour body said.
In a report in 2021, the ILO described Zimbabwe’s informal workers as a “pool of entrepreneurial talent”.
“Zimbabwe’s informal workforce, as in many parts of the world, comprises a wide diversity of occupations. The common factor is that workers in the informal sector lack legal recognition and work without secure contracts, worker benefits, or social protection. However, the earnings they make sustain many lives and livelihoods. In itself, the informal sector has exhibited a lot of resilience, surviving against a lot of unpredictable shocks and challenges.”
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) secretary-general Cde Kennias Shamuyarira said informal workers are the bedrock of Zimbabwe’s economy.
“Artisanal miners are providing the bulk of the gold returns to Fidelity Printers, while communal farmers have for a long time contributed to national food security. This shows you that informal workers must not be looked down upon.
“We are happy that Government is continuing to regularise the sector but more needs to be done in terms of providing proper infrastructure, training and technology to informal workers because this will help to grow the economy.”
Cde Shamuyarira said the informal sector is also helping to bust sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
“We no longer have many conglomerates; most left due to sanctions. It is the informal sector that is now driving the economy,” he said.
This year, the ZFTU will hold its main May Day celebrations at Chinotimba Stadium in Victoria Falls, while another event is slated for Gibo Stadium in Chiredzi.
