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Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
VENDORS and transport operators at Basch Street Terminus in Bulawayo yesterday said they were in the dark over plans to relocate them, a week before commencement of the construction of Egodini Mall.

The Bulawayo City Council last month announced that the Egodini Mall project would start at the beginning of March, with a relocation plan for the informal traders and transport operators already in place.

Tearracotta, a South African civil engineering firm, won the tender for the $60 million project but has had a number of false starts which has seen the project failing to commence for close to five years after it was approved.

The informal traders and transport operators at Basch Street popularly known as Egodini yesterday told The Chronicle that they were still waiting for the city council to communicate with them over the matter.

However, Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube insisted that the transport operators and informal traders are vacating Egodini in a week to allow the contractor to start work.

He said the council was in constant communication with various associations to update them over the relocation exercise.

“The contractor is moving to the site at the end of this month as indicated earlier. It’s unfortunate that we can’t communicate with everyone but the council has been having regular meetings with associations representing the affected people. A meeting was actually scheduled for today but unfortunately it was cancelled because officials from Tearracotta couldn’t attend.

“Those who are saying they’re in the dark probably don’t belong to any of the associations that we recognise. I therefore encourage them to join associations so that they know what is happening,” said Mr Dube.

The transport operators and informal traders demanded a detailed relocation plan that will see them being moved to areas where they would not be pushed out of business.

“We were only informed that we’re supposed to move temporarily from this place but we’ve not been told that we should be moving within the next seven days. This is something we’ll not accept because we were informed that we would be given the relocation plan on time.

“This is a project that will seriously affect us. The council should therefore plan in advance and give us updates so that we know,” said Mr Dumisani Ncube, a kombi driver.

He said the city council should also move kombis and unregistered pirate vehicles from undesignated points in the city.

“The council has to relocate us to areas where we’ll not be pushed out of business. We therefore expect to be consulted before we’re moved.

“We also want the council and the police to make sure that kombis operating from undesignated areas in the city are completely removed from those areas because they’re taking away customers yet they’re operating illegally,” said Mr Ncube.

Mr Hlalani Mpala, another driver, said they were disappointed that the city council was not involving them in their planning yet they are the most affected people.

“It’s news to us that the Egodini Mall contractor is moving to the site at the end of this month. We’ve not heard anything from the city council. We hope they’re not planning to move us to isolated areas because we’ll not accept that.

“This is a project that requires proper planning and serious consultations to avoid clashes and confusion. We appreciate the project and its importance but we’re key stakeholders and we deserve to be involved in the planning of the project,” said Mr Mpala.

He also emphasised on the need for the city council to get rid of pirate taxis operating from undesignated areas in the city for the sake of order and fairness in their business.

A fruit and vegetable vendor operating from Egodini, Mr Busani Mkhize, said they wanted to be moved to the same place with the kombis as most of their customers were commuters.

About 1 100 informal traders and 2 000 public transport operators make a living from operating at Egodini. With limited alternative economic opportunities, Tearracotta said it was important that implementation of the project prevents prolonged disruptions to commercial activities.

Council proposed the temporary relocation of informal traders and public transport operators to other sites during the construction period.

@pamelashumba1