– ‘I wetted my pants as fire was approaching’
SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO–Masvingo Police is still investigating the cause of the fire that gutted the famous Chitima Market on Saturday evening, The Midweek Watch has learnt.
Masvingo police provincial spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa told this publication that they are still investigating the inferno and do not have details of what exactly transpired on the fateful evening.
“We are still investigating the inferno that happened at around 7pm at Garikai Fruit and Vegetable Market and we have not yet established the source of fire and the value of goods burnt,” said Dhewa.
Meanwhile, a woman who lost goods worth over US$2000 said she could not bear it when she saw the raging fire approaching her trading stall and urinated on herself as she broke down.
“Seni ndakatozviwetera pandakaona moto uchiuya kuzvinhu zvangu, ndakapergwa nekuti ndanga ndabva kuorder, please the Govenrment and wellwishers should come to our rescue,” said the distraught single woman on condition of anonymity.
She told The Midweek Watch that she does not keep money at home as she buys stock of over US$300 every day, but all that was reduced to ashes.
Another said some vendors in the area that is popularly known as kuma squatters had stocks of over US$7000 which was reduced to ashes.
“I lost over US$1000 in stock, but a woman near my stall who is known as Metro Peech or N. Richards due to huge stocks also lost everything and today she spent the whole looking at the remains,
“The bad of it is this is month end and the landlord is expecting his rentals and I don’t know where to get that kind of money including school fees for the children which I was still paying in.” she said.
Most vendors at the said they estimated the goods that were lost in the inferno at US$100 000.
Some people said the fire started from a brazier that was left burning in one of the shacks in the squatter’s area.
One truck driver who had brought goods for sale is the one who alerted the vendors about the fire at around 7pm and most had already left for home only to come back and find the fire brigade putting the fire which had reduced all their stuff into ashes.
About 35 vendors were affected by the fire according to the women who talked to this publication.
