Events

BVTA Statement on International Street Vendors Day Commemorations

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Today Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Street Vendors Day that is celebrated across the world on the 14th of November every year. This year’s edition is held under theme “Unity is our Strength”. In this vein, we are calling for due recognition of the contribution of street vendors to the national economy and government and its various agencies to deal with challenges faced by vendors and embrace opportunities in the sector. We salute street vendors who have endured harassment and confiscation of their wares, yet still continue to fend for families, while remitting their contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We call for urgent decriminalisation of vending. We reiterate our call for a strategy on transitioning from street vending to formal economy. We also urge government to tailor-make and provide a Social Security scheme for street vendors especially women, to secure their decent work. We stand together in Unity and Strength.

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BVTA member scoops an Award at World Youth Summit

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Juliet Samison (35), a BVTA member scooped an award for being the best presenter on cultural dances and female dancer for the Cultural night event during the World Youth Summit held at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa on 30 September to the 2nd of October 2019. The theme for this year’s summit was “Promoting Quality Education”. Participants at the summit assumed the roles of world leaders and influential decision makers to improve their teamwork skills, leadership and public speaking. Samison told BVTA that it was her first time to attend such a big conference and she gained strength and knowledge at the conference after being trained by the Secretary General of the Youth Summit. “My greatest achievement was winning the award for the best presenter and female dancer for the cultural night event,” said Samison. This award automatically qualified her for the next summit that will be held in Dubai on December 2019 and the oncoming one in Ghana next year in March 2020. “I will be voice for women in the Youth Summits and stand for our rights,” she told BVTA. “My team work skills, negotiation skills, public speaking and debate skills were improved,” said Samison. “I also rubbed shoulders with the great Ms Ashaba Faridah, one of the female pilots in Uganda and Ms Senamile, the first female atomic scientist in South Africa, Samison continued. “I learnt that women can participate in global, political and economic issues. With the skills I have attained, I will mobilise women and impart them with some of the knowledge I have gained.” Samison was also nominated to be part of the Zimbabwean World Youth Committee. “Many thanks to BVTA which directed me to where I am today, I can’t express my gratitude”. Samison urges young women and young people to join BVTA, “if I was not a member of BVTA, I would not have got this opportunity, she said.  

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DOUBLE CELEBRATION AT VULINDLELA ORPHANAGE CARE

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A double celebration was experienced last week at Vulindlela Orphanage Care in Mpopoma, where orphans were given donations in the form of reusable pads by Lady Rose in partnership with Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) and women were empowered with information on their rights. Giving out necessities to an orphanage is one of the authentic ways to help orphans. Nqobile Ndlovu (Lady Rose Founder and BVTA member) donated reusable pads to orphans at Vulindlela Orphanage and the girls were shocked and thrilled by such a generous and thoughtful deed. Ndlovu told the girls that cloth pads are less likely to cause rashes, irritation and cancer and they are more breathable. He also promised to teach the girls to make their own reusable pads. Ndlovu donated more than 15 reusable pads to the girls. “The main aim of this project is to help a girl child,” said Ndlovu. At the same event, Mr Khumbulani Maphosa, a prominent activist, pleaded with women to empower each other and fight for their rights. The role of women in the society has been underestimated and this has resulted in gender inequality. Women’s rights to freedom of expression are not recognized compared to men. Women were therefore urged to fight for their rights and be in control of their future. Maphosa gave examples of strong women like Miriam Makheba and Dorothy Masuku who fought for people’s rights through songs. “Fight for what is right and you will get support from the right people”, said Maphosa “Women are underestimated and expected to bear children and look after houses, said Patricia Tshabalala, a Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) member and Mpopoma resident. Men and women need to work together to build a society in which every member has the opportunity to strive. It is a common misconception that people think women’s liberation is a man-hating movement. In reality, it is all about equality.          

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Policy breakfast meeting

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Today we held a policy breakfast meeting at Bulawayo Club, in partnership with NUST Faculty of the Built Environment and Institute of Development Studies, to share  the Informal Sector Project Research findings. In attendance were 13 Councillors, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Enterprise Development, BCC- Chamber Secretary office and BCC- Department of Finance among other stakeholders. 

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