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Lance Chigodo
The COVID-19 lockdown which was recently indefinitely extended has adversely affected informal visual art, curio and antique traders whose biggest market are tourists.

The pandemic has forced most countries to shut their borders to all but commercial cargo, totally preventing tourists from travelling.

In addition, the local nationwide lockdown has blocked inter-city travel for non-essential service providers thereby curtailing local tourism.

As a result, curio makers and traders have reported a total shutdown due to lack of business.

Victoria Falls-based curio trader Mr Nguquko Shili said without tourists his business was as good as non-existent.

“The lockdown is a hard blow to a lot of Victoria Falls residents surviving through selling art. A number of people in the sector have been thrown out by landlords for failing to pay rent. It has not been easy putting food on the table,” he said.

Mr Denford Musonza, another curio trader and breadwinner of eight including two children who are at tertiary level said he is foreseeing a huge disaster as it is going to take long to have foreign visitors back in the country.

“I foresee us taking long to recover because it does not look like foreign visitors will start coming soon. As long as we do not get help from the Government and well-wishers our families are going to fall apart,” said Mr Musonza.

The lockdown has resulted in loss of opportunities for some individuals in the visual arts and craft sector such as Trymore Ndolo an artist and chairperson of Sinathankawu Arts and Craft Cooperative who was looking forward to a potential international client visiting him on April 17.

“Unfortunately, it is not going to happen and that was a major deal that was going to produce funds I was going to allocate to the construction of my eight-roomed house,” he said.

Some people in the arts and craft sector have reportedly turned to fishing or risk arrest with poaching.

Chairman of the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association Mr Morgan Dube yesterday said up to 5 000 curio traders in Victoria Falls have been struggling to make ends meet.

“In the early days of the lockdown they were surviving on the little savings and food they had. Now it has become hard for them since the little supplies they had have dried out. As a town we are trying to source food from various organisations and well-wishers.

“A Covid-19 Task Force was also set up to deal with food sourcing and distribution,” said Mr Dube.

He also said there is concern over a potential rise of cases crime due to the shutting down of informal businesses.