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Harare Bureau

A MAJOR fire swept through Mbare Musika, one of Harare’s largest and most iconic markets, over Tuesday night destroying the stalls and the goods on sale and leaving hundreds of traders devastated, tens of thousands of dollars in losses and livelihoods shattered.

Tears and ashes mingled as the vendors stood helplessly amidst the ruins of their once-thriving stalls, now resembling a war-torn landscape.

The scene was a haunting motley of broken pottery, partly burnt bags of sugar beans, remains of kapenta fish, fragments of solar panels among others.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and as of yesterday authorities were yet to ascertain how the inferno started.

“I lost 10 bags of kapenta fish (matemba),” said Ms Ruth Nevanji, a Mbare Musika trader echoing the despair of hundreds who saw their businesses destroyed.

The blaze, which started late in the evening on Tuesday, continued to rage through the night until yesterday morning, leaving market stalls and merchandise ruined.

For Ms Nevanji, the loss was twofold. Not only did she watch her stall go up in flames, but she also lost US$80 she had carefully hidden away in one of the sacks.

Ms Maonei Kadyakumbuka’s eyes brimmed with tears as she surveyed the charred remains of her hardware stall.

“I had gas tanks, solar panels, radios . . . everything, she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Now, it’s all gone. US$10 000, vanished in the flames. And I have no Plan B.’”

Mr Tendai Muzana, another affected trader, estimated his losses at approximately US$5 000.

“I had a substantial stock of Chinese-made goods, all gone,” he said.

However, Mr Muzana’s concerns went beyond the fire itself.

“I suspect looting occurred when the chaos erupted,” he alleged, adding that, “Valuable items vanished amid the flames, and I fear some individuals took advantage of the situation.”

Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Stanley Gama yesterday said the city was still assessing the extent of damage caused.

“We are still assessing the extent of the damage as the firefighters are still on the ground now trying to clear the smouldering. It will take the best part of the day to clear the small pockets of fire left.

“(The) cause of the fire is still being investigated and they are gathering information from the people who operate there,” said Mr Gama.