Thanks to devolution, we now have ‘our office’, the Kariba People’s Market, but . . .
When the government, through devolution funds, built the Kariba People’s Market in 2021, it brought relief to vendors in the resort town. Even the Kariba Town Council was relieved because the market has changed the face of the town. However, as some vendors at the market recently told the Brick by Brick magazine team, this structure, with a holding capacity of over 400 market stalls, is fast becoming a source of constant clashes between the vendors and the council. Below, some of the vendors express their gratitude to the government for building the market, while giving vent to some of their concerns.
Tabeth Nyabadza . . . ‘There are no more running battles with council’
I started as a fruit and vegetable vendor as far back as 1991. Now, I also sell charcoal and traditional brooms (mitsvairo). We buy most our wares in Harare for resale here. Despite the long distance and associated transport costs, which can be astronomical, were are still in a position to make a reasonable profit. In short, we are surviving.
Before this People’s Market was built, we operated from the front of nearby offices and were engaged in perennial running battles with the council police, who destroyed our makeshift stalls. The makeshift stalls eventually gave way to the People’s Market, and it’s something we are grateful for.
This market was built in 2021 under the instruction from President Mnangagwa. The President listened to our pleas and ordered the council to build this People’s Market. About 200 of us were allocated stalls in this market.
We are happy that government finally built this People’s Market for us. This new market has a number of advantages. It is open on both sides and that allows fresh air to circulate. Also our customers can freely walk around the market looking for whatever they feel like buying. But, above all, there are no more running battles with the council police.
However, our biggest challenge is that those who were allocated space on the edge of the market sometimes suffer weather-related losses. Mvura ikanaya kune mhepo, vari kumucheto vanonaiwa pamwechete nezvinhu zvavo while sometimes vanorohwa nezuva because they are right on the edges of the market. We are appealing to government to look into this issue. We have already approached council to look into it and they promised to take corrective action.
Despite the challenges, we are very grateful to government for constructing this market. It has made our lives easier. Ndinoda kutenda President Mnangagwa nekunzwa chichemo chedu. Before this market, kutengesa kwedu kwakanga kuri kwekumanikidza. Nzvimbo dzataitengesera dzanga dzisinga komborere. Ndinoti kuna President vakatiitira basa. I have four children and I am sending them to school, thanks to money from this People’s Market.
Mai Chanongwa, popularly known as Mai Chairman . . . ‘This People’s Market is now our office’
We are operating from the People’s Market very well and we are happy. Our wares are secure in this market. We were happy to hear that this People’s Market was built with the help of devolution funds. Before, we sold our products from plastic shacks which exposed us to the sun’s heat and rains.
However, our challenge is that the market is not water-proof. Shed yedu iri kupinza mvura nezuva. Dai takwanisa kuisirwa shed inovhara mvura nezuva.
This People’s Market has given us some dignity. It is now our office.
I want to urge other women not to sit at home and expect their husbands to do everything for them. Ngavave madzimai akachangamuka. Vanofanirwa kuzviitira nemaoko avo. Musha mukadzi. Mukadzi ndiye anosimudza mhuri yake.
Stella Chivandikwa . . . ‘I want to tell women that ‘your hands are not a chair’
I sell mostly fruits and vegetables. I also sell matemba and fish. Ndinoita zvese zvese zvinenge zvichipa mari nguva iyoyo. I am a jack of all trades. These days business is a bit low, but we sometimes make good money here.
My word of advice to my fellow women out there is that one way of stopping gender-based violence in the home is to be an empowered woman. If you are an empowered woman, one who uses maoko ake kuita mari yake, mhirizhonga inoita shoma mudzimba.
One of the main reasons why husbands and wives constantly clash in the home is over money (or the lack of it). Mari inenge ichishomeka mumba. If I sell tomatoes and some fruits here while my husband has a job elsewhere, we can combine our money and live better lives. I want to tell women that your hands are not a chair. Musagarire maoko. Let’s support our husbands.
Itai Muponda . . . ‘We are appealing to our listening President, we are tired to council here’
Handina chikoro chandinacho and handina course yandinayo but I have managed to send all my children to school with money from fruits and vegetable vending. Ndiri chirikadzi, asi mhuri yangu haisi kutambu. Even vazukuru vandakasiirwa vari kudya vachiguta. Madzimai ngatishandei nyika yedu iyende mberi, were Mai Muponda’s opening remarks.
We are grateful that the government, through devolution funds, built us this beautiful market for us. However, I feel that the spaces allocated to us are too small. The stalls cannot accommodate all our wares.
We also have a problem with farmers who overstay their welcome and end up competing with us. Farmers should offload their produce and leave the market to us. At Mbare Musika, for example, farmers are supposed to be out of the market by 11am so that vendors start doing business. Here in Kariba, the farmers are here the whole day. How then does council expect us to make money? We have made countless appeals to council to put an end to this menace. But it appears our appeals have fallen on deaf ears.
The other thing that baffles me is the erratic water supply which is compounded by high water bills. We have Kariba Dam right here on our doorsteps, yet we sometimes go for days without water. My water bill on average is around $30 000 to $40 000 per month, yet I don’t use a lot of water. Kariba Town Council is making our lives very uncomfortable.
We are appealing to government, through our listening President, to address this issue.
Amai Rwodzi, popularly known as Military . . . ‘How can we work with a council that is anti-people?
I want to express my disappointment with the Kariba Town Council. They come here and hold meetings with us. We tell them our problems and challenges. After this they go to their offices and do nothing to address them.
Sometimes, the council makes unilateral decisions without consulting us. And when we confront them, they blame the minister. I remember some time ago, council came with some budget here and we refused to approve it. However, council went ahead and implemented that budget. We were left stuck because we didn’t know where to go. My question is: Why is council ignoring the residents who happen to be their major stakeholders?
Government built us this People’s Market through devolution funds and we expect council to show us some respect. Do they want the President to come down to Kariba and run the council affairs on their behalf? Why are they not grateful that the government remembered us through devolution? We are tired of this council.
Vanoita zvavanoda vega in council and ini saMai Rwodzi ndinenge ndakutofunga kuti the council is not only against the people but against President Mnangagwa. How can we work with a council that is anti-people?
Maria Machipisa . . . ‘Council should listen to our concerns and respect us’
I am a vendor proud of it. But more than anything else, I am proud that the government built us this People’s Market for us. Our main challenge, though, is that the market is now too cramped. It’s very difficult for our customers to move freely inside the market. Customers should feel free to come and do their shopping here
Our stalls are 2 metres x 1 metre. We have asked council to relocate some of the tables so as to free up some space but to no avail. Because of the cramped space, most customers now buy their needs from stalls situated on the peripheries. Those of us with tables deep inside the market are losing out, yet council demands expects us to pay our rentals of $6,000 in full come month-end. That is no small change, so council should respect us by listening to our concerns.
