MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-Despite the availability of ablution facilities at the busy Mtapa Market, vendors resort to using buckets as toilets and practicing open defecation, posing a health risk to residents who rely on the nearby Gweru River for livelihood.
The market, a hub for fresh produce traders from across the country, has become a health disaster, with vendors sleeping at the market and relieving themselves in buckets, according to Spiwe Nzira, chairperson of the Gweru Resident and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) for ward 6 in Mtapa.
“We face a challenge at Mtapa Market because some vendors are excreting in buckets and dumping their waste in the nearby bush and down stream which leads to polluting of the Gweru River,” Nzira said.
“This poses a serious health hazard to residents, and we call upon the council to quickly address this unacceptable behavior.”
The situation is exacerbated by the presence of vagrants who have set up camp at the market, using the nearby bush to relieve themselves.
Everisto Mbenjani, chairperson of the Gweru Vendors Association, attributed the situation to the high fees charged for using the toilets.
“The council charges 50 cents per visit, which can be costly for someone with a running stomach or a health condition who needs to visit the toilet multiple times a day,” Mbenjani said.
Mbenjani suggested that council should revise the fees to a more affordable like a $1 per month, providing vendors with a ticket or token for unlimited access to the ablution facilities.
Council spokesperson Vimbai Chingwaramusee said the local authority is not aware of the practice, but has ensured that pay toilets are available for vendors’ convenience.
“As a local authority, we consistently encourage our informal traders to utilize the amenities provided, including the ablution facilities,” Chingwaramusee said.
However, Nzira urged the council to intervene and penalize vendors who refuse to utilize the toilets.
“The market has become a health time bomb, and the council must take immediate action to address this issue,” Nzira said.
Last year, a resident from Mkoba exhumed his wife’s remains from Mtapa Cemetery and reburied them at Destiny Private Cemetery due to the unabated open defecation at the decommissioned graveyard by the Mtapa vendors.
