… as 300 Gweru vendors set to leave streets for islands markets
EDWIN MOYO
GWERU-Vendors have been described as the core driver of the economy as they are contributing approximately US$58.5 million to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per month.
This was confirmed by Munyati Development Strategy Research Think Tank Consultant and Researcher, Costain Mukanganiki during an interview on the sidelines of the relocation of vendors from the town pavements to safe islands markets across the Gweru town.
Speaking on the sidelines of the development, Mukanganiki said, informal trading was no longer the same when it was viewed as illegal in terms of blocking street pavements due to its employment creation nature.
“As Munyati Development Strategies we were conducting an inquiry into the operations and welfare of the informal sector where we came out with a number of challenges affecting the informal sector.
“This research then came up with interventions which we thought were convenient to help the traders overcome challenges that they were facing. Our main thrust was to then reduce disturbances which we felt were harboring the day-to-day operations of the sector.
“For a fact know that the informal sector is largely big and comprised of many establishments, but since we are focusing on pavement traders let me say these people are now being referred to as traders because of their value to the economy and this was even recognized by the government of Zimbabwe.
“Do you even know that vendors contribute up to US$60 000 dollars per day in terms of circulation of money among themselves and according to the research we conducted on a monthly basis the same sector is contributing an extensive US$58.5 million cash to the economy.
“So, as a result, we saw the need to strengthen this sector and also formalize its operation and we successfully did it.” he added
Mukanganiki however said the fact that the sector was trading 98% in foreign currency showed that the traders were the drivers of the economy.
“Coming to the findings that the traders are the major forex holders, we advised their representative bodies like the Gweru Vendors and Traders Association to formalize their operations through designing their application form which revealed their demographic divisions.
“This however helped in coming up with the database which is now being used to relocate the vendors you see now.
“And the total number we got was 810, but all in all we saw the vendors who are being chased by police can reach up to 1000.
“This relocation was after a series of engagement with council that saw the traders being moved now from pavements to the big island markets in areas near Kudzanai, Allan and Morah.
” So the places are already being spruced up but for them to access the markets they were being registered upon payment of US$13 and about 300 vendors are now on the waiting list awaiting the completion of the bays though more are still coming.” he said.
Meanwhile Council and Gweru Vendors Traders are still engaging each other to accommodate more vendors in other island markets to eliminate the cat and mouse battle which continues to haunt informal traders in the street pavements.
