Zimpapers Logo

Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Correspondent
THE popular open-air Fifth Avenue Fresh Produce Market in the Bulawayo city centre is now history.

As part of a raft of measures in response to Covid-19, the city council last month relocated about 600 vendors who operated along the street to five fresh produce distribution hubs and new vending sites around the city.

It also permanently closed the popular weekend Khothama Market to bring order in the city beyond the lockdown period. Khothama was popular as it offered cheap imported used clothes and footwear.

Fifth Avenue was often abuzz with fresh produce vendors and their customers.

However, the street remains busy as it has been opened to vehicular traffic which now moves in both directions. The road is still chaotic, with push carts and vendors displaying wares on the streets while others are in long queues to buy vegetables from the fresh produce shops.

The areas that were previously used as vending sites, have since been reopened for vehicular movement and these include 8th Avenue between Josiah Tongogara Street and Robert Mugabe Way, the portion of 5th  Avenue between Robert Mugabe Way and George Silundika Street, the portion of 5th Avenue between George Silundika Street and Fife Street, the portion of 5th Avenue between Fort Street and Herbert Chitepo Street and the portion of 5th Avenue between Herbert Chitepo Street and Lobengula Street.

The picture taken recently shows council employees rehabilitating 5th Avenue which was being used as a market place

BCC housing and community services director Mr Dictor Khumalo recently said the local authority was using the Covid-19 situation to re-look into other opportunities and to ‘clean the city’.

“Covid-19 has given us an opportunity to relook at our operations with a view to make sure people are not inconvenienced and that people don’t risk their lives by crowding in one place.

“We have decentralised our vending activities and those who were already at the western suburbs will be incorporated, but the only difference is that they will have to be licensed first and be regulated,” he said.

For one, it may be more of an eyesore than the previous arrangement. However, it can only be hoped that with time, council will sort it all out and the new way of doing things will be more orderly.

It can only be hoped that the new vending homes for those displaced are as lucrative for the vendors who spent years earning a living from the city centre market place.

President Mnangagwa recently said that the country needs to ease the lockdown in a manner that does not undo the gains that have been attained so far.

“In order to maintain this positive momentum and not to lose the gains attained so far, the country needs to ease out of the lockdown in a strategic and gradual manner. The further implementation of our National Preparedness and Response Plan following the initial lockdown, will now focus on a combination of preventative and case management measures that are based on targeted and differentiated approaches.

“Consultations on the phased reopening of the informal sector are still ongoing. To date, only designated food markets shall be permitted to open. The measures currently in place in relation to social gatherings for worship, weddings, funerals, political rallies and other such gatherings, remain in force,” said the President.-@andile_tshuma