The Sunday Mail
Tanyaradzwa Rusike
IT is a transformation that has been long overdue.
For many years, Mbare has been deteriorating into a seemingly uninhabitable hovel, where crime and chaos reign supreme.
There are fears the country’s oldest suburb could turn into a slum.
To add to the melee are space barons who have moved in to take advantage of desperate vendors, prejudicing Harare City Council (HCC) of significant amounts in potential revenue.
Places like the Jo’burg lines, Nyerere, Shawasha, Matapi, Matererini and Mbare hostels have all become decrepit.
Illegal structures that include tuckshops and shacks were increasingly encroaching on roads, creating a nightmare for both motorists and pedestrians.
However, council last weekend decided to demolish the illegal structures to try and bring order and sanity.
But the Government believes the local authority should consider models such as Kudzanai Bus Terminus in Gweru, which accommodates at least 800 vendors, as part of reorganising parts the suburb.
Minister of State for Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution Oliver Chidawu told journalists last week that it was way past time for Mbare to finally get a makeover.
“May I hasten to say that we are mindful of the need to provide alternate workspaces for people who are affected by the removal of illegal structures. To this end, we are liaising with the City of Harare to identify new areas where traders can be relocated and have a mutually beneficial working arrangement with the local authority,” he said.
Harare provincial development co-ordinator Mr Tafadzwa Muguti said demolishing illegal structures in Mbare was the right step in restoring order in the province.
“In line with the demolitions, we are proceeding from Mbare to all local authorities. We are, therefore, asking for anybody who has been operating illegally in spaces that you know you do not have paperwork from local authority to please remove your wares and materials and approach the local authorities so that you will be given somewhere to work from,” said Mr Muguti.
This year, $43 billion under devolution was allocated to local authorities towards upgrading infrastructure to meet the ongoing development agenda of smart cities.
The Government says these funds from the devolution kitty, in addition to other investments, can be used to revamp Mbare and unlock value at the marketplace, which is the country’s largest trading place, particularly for agricultural produce.
Informal traders will be moved to designated trading areas like Mupedzanhamo and Shawasha grounds where they will pay dues to city council. Despite the good intentions to revamp Mbare, illegal vendors continue to sneak back into the market, playing cat and mouse with law enforcement. When The Sunday Mail visited Mbare last week, traders who operated along road servitudes were still there although the makeshift stalls had been destroyed.
Police were seen occasionally trying to restore order.
Brenda Moyo, an informal trader in Mbare who had her makeshift stall destroyed, said her source of income had been destroyed.
“I am a widow and I survive by vending. This is where I get my source of income to feed my family. We are aware our cabins were not legal, but this is where we get our source of income.
“Now that our source of income has been destroyed, we have nowhere to turn to for survival. It is better for council to regularise our trading sites or prepare strategic areas before destroying our tables,” she explained.
Another informal trader, Lindsay Ncube, also bemoaned the move by council, saying they should have been considerate before carrying out the operation.
“The majority of the country’s population survives on vending and informal trading.
“I have twins who are supposed to be in Form One this year. I am here because I need money to pay for their school fees once they are admitted.
“Trading here is not by choice, but by circumstances. I need to feed the family so council should be considerate. They said we should relocate to Shawasha ground, but nothing has been done for us to start working there.
“They should have created alternative places where we can do our business. Yes, they said they will offer us places where we will be allowed to do business, but the places are not ready,” she said.
Doctor of Philosophy in Rural and Urban Planning at the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Innocent Chirisa, said designs for trading markets in Mbare should accommodate more traders.
“The appropriate designs for Mbare will be those that can accommodate more traders at once.
“Our economy is more informal, which means more people are in the sector. The designs should be, therefore, informed by the need on the ground,” he said.
It remains to be seen if the latest demolitions will finally change the face of Mbare for good or the cat-and-mouse games between vendors and Harare City Council or Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers will continue.
