bulawayovendors

BVTA and BPRA on voter registration drive

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Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) in collaboration with Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) have released a Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) Residents Brigade that is doing door to door campaigns to mobilize citizens to register to vote in the ongoing voter registration exercise.                               BVTA and BPRA on voter registration drive This development follows the alarming statistics of voter registration apathy in Bulawayo province and its consequences on democracy, strengthening accountability at a local level as well as improving service delivery. The vendors and residents brigade consists of over 300 volunteers who are targeting all eligible voters and encouraging them to register to vote. Mrs Dube from Njube suburb alluded that they shall go “door to door, street by street, Ward to Ward, Bulawayo shall come right!” The brigade encourages people to exercise their democratic right to participate in electoral processes and it is a Constitutional obligation to participate as a citizen. BVR is a computerized registration system which captures the biological features of an individual like the face and finger prints. The new biometric system gives the Bulawayo residents and the nation at large, the opportunity to participate in the people making history of Zimbabwe in crafting a new voter’s roll. The voter registration campaign has been a success as more people are visiting various voter registration centres to add their names in the new voters roll. The campaign will be run until the end of the voter registration blitz in January 2018.  

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Chronicle journalist scoops economic justice award

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Bulawayo’s renowned journalist, Vusumuzi Dube from the Chronicle newspaper recently won an Economic Justice Award for his sterling coverage of the plight of vendors and informal traders in the City. The award, sponsored by Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) and Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), was meant to appreciate and motivate more journalists to expose the challenges and the opportunities that exists in the informal sector. Speaking after the National Journalists and Media Awards (NJAMA) ceremony recently, Dube expressed gratitude to the organization for introducing another category in media awards. “It was an honor being awarded the Bulawayo Economic Justice Reporter of the Year,” he said. “I have been recognized for writing on a sector that is oftenly overlooked and labelled as illegal. I have been a Municipal reporter for over 6 years and exposing ills within our society is my passion, which I will continue doing without fear or favor.” Vendors and informal traders are faced with a myriad of challenges ranging from police harassment, exorbitant licenses, inadequate vending bays and confiscation of their wares for selling at undesignated points. BVTA will continue standing up for the rights of vendors and informal traders whom majority are women.  

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From Being a Vendor to a Leader

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Blessed Sibanda (31), who was recently appointed the Vice President of the Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) structures, was a mere vendor with no vision of growing her business to greater heights. However, due to the several empowerment trainings she got from the organization and the commitment she showed in her business, she has become a successful woman and the voice of the disenfranchised vendors. Sibanda learnt about BVTA during the eviction of second hand clothes vendors on fife Avenue were evicted from the Central Business District and moved to Highlanders Sports Club in 2016. As a result of her determination and commitment to the organization, she was elected as the vice President of the BVTA structure. “I was not a member of any vendors association and when we went to the City Council to be allocated vending stands, we were advised that every vendor should belong to an vendors association,” she said. She added, “I was inspired by how BVTA handled Doreen Selimani’s case when her daughter suffered a broken arm after a struggle with the Municipal police. I realized that the organization can play a significant role in my life. BVTA has helped us in obtaining vending stands and I am where I am now because of BVTA.” Sibanda has moved from selling second hand clothes to becoming a retailer. Other vendors order snacks, sweets and tinned foods from her shop. “I have learnt a lot through BVTA trainings and workshops, and I encourage all vendors to join this association. I also recommend BVTA to make itself known to the people and continue encouraging its members to pay subs to keep the organisation alive.” She also encouraged the organization to provide issue loans to vendors who need financial assistance.

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