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Midlands Bureau Chief
A HEALTH time bomb is ticking at Mtapa Market in Gweru where over 5 000 vendors gather every day to sell fresh produce without adequate ablution facilities and running water.

This is the market where you find traders from as far as Chipinge and Gokwe converging to sell produce such as bananas, sweet potatoes and potatoes to the local buyers who are vendors at the market.

With more than 5 000 vendors, traders and buyers mingling at the market on a daily basis, there are now fears of an outbreak of diseases.

Mtapa Market opposite Mtapa Police Station is in Gweru’s oldest suburb, Mtapa.

This is the home for the vendors who were once based at Kudzanayi long distance bus terminus and Kombayi fresh produce market since March 2020.

City of Gweru demolished illegal structures at Kudzanayi long distance bus terminus, Kombayi vegetable and grain market, TM local bus terminus and other undesignated vending areas with promises to provide the vendors with new vending stalls, ablution facilities and running water.

The decision followed a Cabinet directive for all local authorities to remove vending and flea market sites in the CBD that run under unhygienic environments as well as illegal structures as part of the multifaceted intervention strategies to fight Covid-19.

Government envisaged the local authority would capitalise on the closure of the market to give it a major facelift but this has not happened.

The place remains a sorry sight with no proper amenities.

There are no ablution facilities, no running water and no vending stalls.

The vendors are at the mercy of all types of weather conditions.

The vendors say the situation further gets out of hand when rains fall.

Buyers who are residents claim that chaos and litter are a common sight at Mtapa Market.

The vendors make use of every available free space such as in Mtapa Cemetery and besides City of Gweru administration offices to openly relieve themselves.

The vendors can be seen encroaching into roads forcing motorists to be extra careful for fear of running over a vendor or a client selling or buying.

Catering services are also being offered in the unpleasant environment.

Residents are calling for the reopening of Kombayi fresh produce market, TM local bus terminus market, Wimpy market and the flea market to curb the chaos surrounding Mtapa Market.

Vending stalls at Kombayi fresh market and other sites in the CBD are still under construction forcing vendors to crowd at Mtapa Market.

The crowding is so intense that customers at times bump into each other as they manoeuvre around the market place looking for what they want to buy.

Mr Richard Moyo, the interim chairperson of the vendors called on the City of Gweru to quickly make sure that they have water, ablution blocks and vending stalls.

“This has become a ticking health time bomb.

A disaster is looming because of the unavailability of ablution facilities, vending stalls, and running water.

Remember we have traders coming from Gokwe and as far as Chipinge camp sleep at the market which has no ablution facilities,” he said.

Gweru United Progressive Residents and Ratepayers Association director Pastor David Chikore confirmed open defecation by vendors.

“The truth of the matter is that the Mtapa Cemetery has been turned into an open-air toilet, defecation zone by vendors.

The chaos that currently exists at the Mtapa market is the legacy of outright greed by the space baron opportunists and an inept council that rolled over and allowed political interests to take over a council asset,” he said.

Pastor Chikore said council is failing to construct ablution facilities, provide running water, and proper vending bays.

He said space barons in March last year allocated bays to people without council’s approval leading to lawlessness and disorder at the market.

“The same space barons made a killing by collecting cash ($1/day) from vendors at the market illegally.

Council also contributed to the chaos by not being transparent in the registration process of vendors,” said Pastor Chikore.

Zimbabwe Chamber for Small-to-Medium Enterprises Gweru chapter chairperson Mr Tafadzwa Mazorodze called on council to quickly provide water and construct ablution facilities for the vendors.

“Working at Mtapa Market is actually a health hazard because there are no toilets and running water.

Vendors bring their own water and have been hiring movable toilets.

At one time they were partying with $180 per week to use the toilet.

There are thousands of residents visiting the market and therefore the need for it to be user friendly,” he said.

Mr Mazorodze said they wanted the council to regularise operations at the market for effective service delivery.

City of Gweru public relations and communications officer Ms Vimbai Chingwaramuse said vendors have been allowed to use the ablution facilities at the Mtapa administration offices.

“While plans are underway for the construction of ablution facilities at Mtapa Market, council allowed them to use ablution facilities at our Mtapa administration offices.

We don’t approve of open defecation in bushes round the market or at Mtapa Cemetery,” she said.

Ms Chingwaramuse said the construction of the ablution facilities is now 90 percent complete.