Press Statements

BVTA Press Statement on International Worker’s Day

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Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) joins the country and the rest of the world in commemorating International Worker’s Day under the theme ‘Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate’ on the vital contributions of informal economy workers and their need for better access to essential social services.   Health Care Many informal economy workers lack access to basic health care and pension plans. We encourage them to explore our affordable medical aid options, with premiums starting as low as $5, to ensure they have essential health coverage and financial security for the future.   Housing Informal economy workers often face significant challenges in securing decent housing. We urge banks and other stakeholders to create affordable housing programs tailored to the needs of these workers. Financial institutions like NBS have shown interest in supporting these efforts, and we call on them to expedite the creation of suitable housing schemes.   Safe Working Spaces Safe and decent working spaces are crucial for informal economy workers. We invite associations, local authorities, and other partners to collaborate with us to build and maintain proper infrastructure and working environments. We’ve developed successful models, such as Nkulumane, and believe they can serve as templates for further projects promoting safe working conditions.

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Awards Press Release

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On behalf of Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) I would like to express that we are humbled and honoured to have won two awards, the Community Development NGO of the Year Award from the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (NANGO) and the Best Practice and Innovation Award for our Informal Traders Insurance Scheme by CEAA at the 13th NGO Directors’ Annual Summer Retreat held in the resort city of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our members, partners and stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication to our mission. These awards are a huge sign for stakeholders trust in us and belief in our efforts and perhaps the indelible journey that the organization has over walked over the past 8 years. We are committed to continuing our work in impacting communities while providing transformative leadership in the informal economy. We look forward to continuing exploring prospects for collaboration with potential partners. We are once again indebted and grateful to those who voted for us to get this inspiring recognition. Yours in celebration Michael Ndiweni BVTA Executive Director

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BVTA Press Statement on Mtize Flea Market Inferno

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30 August, 2023 Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) learns with shock the devastating inferno that razed thousands worth of goods belonging to informal traders at Mtize Flea market in Bulawayo and our hearts are with the people who have lost their livelihoods in this unfortunate disaster. We take solace that there were no injuries or fatalities from the fire which started in the early hours of 30 August 2023, although hundreds of informal traders lost their jobs.  Young people mostly young women, who were employed as shop keepers have lost their source of income. The disaster also strikes at a time when informal traders were just recovering from the devastating impact of COVID-19 pandemic. We urge authorities to declare this incident a city disaster and urgently activate all systems to assist informal traders affected by the incident and we also invite well-wishers to come on board and assist informal traders in any form possible. We also pray that authorities will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of the cause of the inferno. It is our prayer that in the future, informal traders consider to pursue insurance cover for their goods, organizations such as ours have tailored insurance packages for informal traders in partnership with insurance service providers such as Champions Insurance with packages as little as USD $5 for a fire policy for stock, medical aid, hospital cash back and funeral cover for such and many other unfortunate occurrences.  We also strongly urge property owners to prioritize regular maintenance, insure premises and the authorities to regularly inspect places of work such as markets and ensure adherence to minimum safety standards. Informal trading has become the backbone of our economy as about 70% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from the informal economy and the source of livelihood for many families. Informal cross border traders are dotted across the Southern Africa Development Countries (SADC) region either to resell or order goods or raw materials for producing goods in the country and it is a source of employment for many people, particularly women.  Issued by BVTA Information and Publicity Unit Twitter – @bvtatrust Facebook Page – Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association Facebook – Bulawayo Vendors Trust Website – www.bvtatrust.org

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BVTA Statement on assault of informal traders in Bulawayo

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18 July, 2023 Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) learns with shock the assault of informal traders that was widely reported on social media at 5th Avenue in Bulawayo. We have at many occasions on record, condemned and frowned upon the issue of space barons who are undermining all local government laws and national laws that govern the informal economy. Our conviction is that no group must put the law unto itself, it is a crime to assault those who are working hard to eke a living, and we hope law enforcements agents will rise above this matter and arrest the perpetrators of violence against informal traders, informal traders have overtime decried abuse from space barons who demand a dollar a day for protection. We also urge informal traders to be vigilant and not kow tow to these unscrupulous individuals who always promise them protection through demanding, bribes and extortionist shenanigans. Informal traders are out there to work and provide for their families not to be abused by illegal space barons hiding behind political connections. We are very sorry to the journalist who was assaulted while covering acts of violence meted on informal traders in Bulawayo Central Business District. We believe violence in any form has no place in our society, hence we will continue to advocate for safe and decent working spaces for informal traders particularly vulnerable groups like women informal traders. We call for multi stakeholder dialogues to resolve informal traders’ challenges and eliminate the risks of working in the informal economy. Issued by BVTA Information and Publicity UnitContact details: Fourth floor, Suite 406, Fidelity Life Building Fife street and 11th Avenue Email:bulawayovendors@gmail.com Facebook: Bulawayo Vendors Trust/ Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association Twitter: @bvtatrust Website: www.bvtatrust.org Phone: +263 713 635 908

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BVTA Press Statement on the International Workers Day

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01 May, 2023 Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) today joins Zimbabwe and the whole world in commemorating the struggles and victories of workers worldwide under the theme: ”Workers Rights and Socio-Economic Justice”. On this Workers Day, BVTA honours and celebrates the hard work and dedication of all workers, particularly those in the informal economy. We recognize that the informal sector plays a vital role in providing livelihoods for millions of people across the country, and we commend the resilience and commitment of informal workers in the face of numerous challenges. We celebrate men, women and children who are trying to eke a living in the informal economy under punitive working conditions. We are aggrieved that it is common to work 10 to 16-hour days in hazardous and unsafe spaces in the informal economy, there is lack of social security, lack of medical health schemes and poor infrastructure. As BVTA, we remain committed to advocating for the rights of informal workers, including fair wages, decent working conditions, and access to social protections. We call upon the government, employers, and society to recognise and value the contributions of informal workers and take tangible steps to improve their conditions. We commit to complement the government and partner with the private sector to support informal workers with access to credit, capacity building and formalisation opportunities. Employers should also provide fair wages and safe working conditions, while society should appreciate and acknowledge the role of informal workers in the economy. We implore the government and its various agencies that support informal economy workers to up ante and build a more equitable society that values the contributions and rights of all informal workers. We wish all workers a happy and fulfilling Workers’ Day! Twitter – @bvtatrust Facebook Page – Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association Facebook – Bulawayo Vendors Trust Website – www.bvtatrust.org

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BVTA on 16 Days of Activism and GBV

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Inyanga ka 25 Lwezi, 2022 lusuku lokunanza ukuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane. Kuqakathekile ukuthi sipahwule lolusuku ukwenzela ukuthi sivikele amalungelo abesifazane. Njenge Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) sithanda ukuhlanganyela lamanye amazwe kanye lezinye inhlanganiso ukunanza usuku lokuhlukunyezwa kwabesibazane. Sithi abamthetho kabathathe amanyathela aqinileyo kulabo abahlukemeza omama, ukuze bavikeleke. Njalo siyakhuthaza omama ukuthi babike bangathuli njalo bangesabi nxa behlukunyeziwe.

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BVTA Press Statement on the International Street Vendors day

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Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) today joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Street Vendors Day, a day that is celebrated across the world on the 14th of November every year. We continue to call for due recognition of the contribution of street vendors to the national economy. We recognise 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 implore all street vendors and advocacy organizations to express their solidarity and work together to support the hard-working vendors in the world. We also urge government to tailor-make and provide a Social Safety scheme for street vendors especially women, to secure their decent work. Contact details: Fourth floor, Suite 406, Fidelity Life Building Fife street and 11th Avenue Email: bulawayovendors@gmail.com Phone: +263 713 635 908 Facebook: Bulawayo Vendors Trust/Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association, Twitter: @bvtatrust, Website: www.bvtatrust.org

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BVTA Press Statement on UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination findings

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01 September, 2022 Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) applauds the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on issuing its findings on countries including Zimbabwe, whose main concerns and recommendations are on the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination. BVTA concedes the UN Committee’s concern that legislation on protection of labour rights and prevention of discrimination in Zimbabwe does not explicitly cover the informal economy and domestic work. BVTA concurs with the committee on that informal sector workers especially women are the majority players in economy and are not fully protected. Work in the informal economy is often characterized by small or undefined work places, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, low levels of skills and productivity, low or irregular incomes, long working hours and lack of access to information, markets, finance, training and technology. Some workers in the informal economy are not recognized, registered, regulated or protected under labour legislation and social protection. We concur with the Committee’s request on Zimbabwe to amend its labour laws to explicitly cover the informal sector and domestic work and take measures to address discrimination on the intersecting grounds of race, class and gender in all areas of employment. We also acknowledge efforts by the government of Zimbabwe on developing the Informal Economy Transitioning Strategy as a step in the right direction. We are encouraged to continue advocating for the improvement of working conditions of informal economy workers and the findings demonstrate that our message is getting the attention it deserves. Twitter – @bvtatrust Facebook Page – Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association Facebook – Bulawayo Vendors Trust Website – www.bvtatrust.org

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BVTA Press Statement on International Youth Day

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12 August, 2022 Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Youth Day which aims at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals under the theme: “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.” It aims at promoting solidarity in collaborating to foster successful and equitable intergenerational relations and partnerships to ensure that “no one is left behind.” As we commemorate the International Youth Day, our hearts are with the youths in the informal economy, who strive day and night to eke a living in the face of the current economic downfall and COVID-19 pandemic, desperately hoping for a fast reawakening of the economy, defying all the odds. You are our bold and you deserve to be celebrated. As BVTA, we acknowledge that young people are powerful agents of change and progress when they are educated and empowered to participate in decision making, yet around the world, too many youths are being left behind. They receive substandard education or no education at all, and find few decent employment opportunities. They struggle to access basic sexual and reproductive health information and services. Without these tools, young people find themselves grappling with poverty, early pregnancy, drug abuse and other challenges. We empathise with all young people who are deposited from universities each year into the informal economy in quest for better livelihoods and greener pastures. We urge the government and other stakeholders to support young people with massive investments in education, skills-building and expanded opportunities for young people to participate in civic and public policy issues. We implore the integration of young people into decision-making mechanisms at local, national and international levels, just listening to them is not enough. We continue to be unfazed in advocating and stopping at nothing to empower and provide opportunities for young people. Issued by BVTA Information and Publicity Unit Twitter – @bvtatrust Facebook Page – Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association Facebook – Bulawayo Vendors Trust Website – www.bvtatrust.org

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BVTA Press statement on the deployment of border guards at Beitbridge Border post

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15 July, 2022 Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) would like to advise Informal Cross Border Traders (ICBTs) on the launch of the Border Management Authority (BMA) programme at the Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe by the South African Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi.  It is said that the guards will be strategically deployed along some segments of the border and the initiative aims to facilitate legal cross-border movement and curb criminality around the border. According to the Minister, the initiative is expected to play a key role towards tackling issues of border security, as the border faces a stream of problems including trucking congestion during peak seasons and unregulated cross-border movement, and smuggling. About three million Zimbabweans, most of whom are women, have been making a living through buying goods in the neighbouring South Africa and reselling them across the region, however due to the lockdown and shutting down of borders, their businesses have since collapsed, leading to use of undesignated entry and exit points. Over the years there has been cases of theft, robbery, sextortion and verbal abuse at the border post, most victims being women ICBTs, as BVTA we hope such violence will be curbed. We urge ICBTs to take caution of the new developments in South Africa and desist from using undesignated entry and exit points to avoid being in confrontation with the law. However, BVTA is worried by the claims that the deployment of the guards could give fodder to controversial and xenophobic attacks by the so called Dudula movement, which has been accused of perpetrating violence against migrant workers. Contact details: Fourth floor, Suite 406, Fidelity Life Building Fife street and 11th Avenue Email:bulawayovendors@gmail.com Phone: +263 713 635 908 Facebook: Bulawayo Vendors Trust/Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association, Twitter: @bvtatrust

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