BVTA

Agro Market Fair Revolutionizes market linkages

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Bulawayo, Zimbabwe– In a groundbreaking initiative, the Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) through the generous support from We Effect and its strategic partners hosted a transformative agricultural market fair in April 2024, uniting smallholder farmers with informal traders in an unprecedented urban-rural collaboration. The event brought together farmers from Bulawayo, Umguza, and Umzingwane, who showcased an array of fresh and value-added agricultural products. The fair featured an impressive lineup including fresh fruits and vegetables like green peppers, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, beetroot, spinach, chomolia, carrots, butternut, mushrooms, and green maize. Additionally, the market boasted dried mushrooms and cabbages, chili sauce, traditional fruit drinks, biltong muffins, dried nuts and corn snacks, and meal-mealie, among other items. This innovative fair wasn’t just about selling produce; it created vital market linkages and fostered economic opportunities. Informal traders, eager for fresh supplies, scrambled to purchase the showcased goods, prompting farmers to replenish their stocks rapidly. Farmers celebrated significant sales and the formation of new business connections, with one exhibitor remarking, “The event was balanced in terms of attendance, featuring key players from banks, packaging, value addition, NGOs, and traders. Youth involvement was particularly impressive, providing a platform for each exhibitor to present their products and services.” A representative from a seedling company highlighted the fair’s success, stating, “We had so much traffic at our stand, made sales above USD $200, and established valuable connections.” The fair provided a complete production chain, from seedlings to end products, with value addition at every stage. This comprehensive approach contributed to the event’s resounding success and has set the stage for the eagerly anticipated official opening of the Nkulumane Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market. Held under the Market Aggregation Linking Markets (MALI) project, the fair aimed to promote just and equitable food systems, fostering an enabling environment for economic opportunities, innovation, and diversity. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers and informal traders, ensuring sustainable livelihoods and improved incomes. Due to the overwhelming success and high demand, a second market fair is scheduled for May 31, 2024. This ongoing initiative promises to continue transforming the agricultural landscape in Bulawayo, creating lasting economic benefits and strengthening community ties. toto slot slot gacor

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Back By Popular Demand: The Second Market Fair is Underway

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  The second Nkulumane market fair will be held on May 31, 2024, at the Nkulumane Complex, back by popular demand. Following the tremendous success of the first fair on April 10th, which garnered widespread acclaim, this upcoming event promises to be even more exciting and impactful. The market fair serves as a vibrant platform for farmers, traders, and sellers from across the region to connect, showcase, and trade their goods directly, eliminating the need for middlemen. Attendees can expect a diverse array of products and innovative agricultural solutions, fostering new business linkages and fair trading opportunities. From 6 AM to 6 PM, the Nkulumane Complex will be teeming with enterprise, innovation and connection. Participants will include a broad spectrum of the region’s most enterprising individuals, bringing with them unique products and business initiatives. This event is not only an opportunity to discover the latest in agro innovations but also a chance to support local entrepreneurs and build lasting business relationships. Interested parties are encouraged to apply for a stall to take full advantage of this dynamic marketplace. Exhibition is FREE. For more information or to reserve a stall, please contact +263775332109 or +263774681239. Join us at the Nkulumane Complex on May 31st for BVTA’s second market fair, a celebration of regional entrepreneurship and innovation. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with the best in local agriculture and trade. toto slot slot gacor

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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. toto slot

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BVTA Press Statement on lockdown extension for 2 weeks with the opening of markets upon satisfying COVID-19 WHO protocols.

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15 February, 2021 As Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA), we welcome the development as it falls within what we called for i.e placing livelihoods at the center of enforcement of COVID-19 measures, on opening of markets upon satisfying COVID-19 World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols. Our understanding of satisfying WHO protocols is the screening at market entrances by a thermometer, washing of hands at the entrances, masking up in market places and observing physical distancing between trading bays owners and queuing customers. We implore the government to clarify some semblance of ambiguity on the statement on compliance to WHO protocols to the informal sector, to remove any doubt. As BVTA, we had already handed over hundreds of sanitizers, a thousand masks, hand washing water dispensers, gave Bulawayo City Council (BCC) road line paint to mark trading bays to conform to physical distancing, recruited and deployed Market Bailiffs to monitor and raise awareness on ways to reduce the spread of the virus. We also ran a series of radio programs at SkyzMetro FM, where informal traders shared strategies they are employing to fight the spread of the virus. We are going to urgently distribute more materials to support informal traders and address the Cost of Compliance in the interim, as well as aid them to comply with COVID-19 protocols. These will include thermometers for use in enclosed markets.  It was indeed long overdue to balance livelihoods and enforcement. We continue to call for a holistic approach in mitigating the spread of virus. If we all put our hands on the deck we will be able to contain its spread. We are confident that a holistic approach makes everyone responsible to play their part and prospects of defying the lockdown will be reduced. We still insist on a cushioning package to bridge the impact and shocks of the lockdown on vendors and informal traders. Contact 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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New Informal Sector By-law gazetted

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The government of Zimbabwe has gazetted the Bulawayo City Council (Hawkers and Vendors) By-laws, 2020 through Statutory Instrument 181 of 2020.  Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) for the past four years has been engaged in protracted advocacy to get the By-laws that was enacted in 1976 reviewed and aligned with the Constitution of Zimbabwe and to conform with the current trends.    BVTA in 2018 further pushed for amendments to the city’s Hawkers and Vending By-law through submitting an Informal Sector Model By-law which Bulawayo City Council (BCC) analysed and produced a report and shared it through full council meeting minutes.  In 2017, the organisation carried out a study to understand institutional complexes governing the informal sector in partnership with National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Institute of Development Studies (IDS) which revealed that the By-laws used to govern traders were outdated, need to be reviewed and reformed. The study concluded that the then Hawkers and Street Vendors By-laws of 1976 were restrictive, and did not promote the rights of vendors. The BVTA Model By-law was a result of wide consultations that were held from 2016 until Bulawayo City Council invited stakeholders to make their submissions on By-law amendments.   BVTA has been following up on the amendment of the By-law since the period of submission.  BVTA through its lawyers is still analysing the gazetted By-law to ascertain if it is responsive to issues that were raised such as gender, provision of amenities such as proper ablution facilities, water, proper trading spaces, setting of timelines for the processing of licenses. Vendors and Informal traders in the City of Bulawayo will be sensitized on the provisions of the newly gazetted By-Law as part of widespread awareness campaign in the pipeline

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News from Trust Africa’s Solidarity Fund: Supporting the Informal Sector and Community- Led Responses During COVID-19

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In the western part of Zimbabwe, BVTA has been busy working with daily wage earners in a similar fashion as part of the Citizens’ Manifesto convergence platform in Zimbabwe. BVTA conducted online and physical trainings to equip vendors with alternative skills to keep afloat during the outright lockdown.  BVTA also purchased and distributed nearly 400 masks to BVTA members to help fight the spread of COVID-19 as many vendors and informal traders could not afford the masks which were being sold at exorbitant prices. In addition, BVTA handed over 45 hand washing water dispensers to the Bulawayo City Council for use in select marketplaces. The water dispensers also help raise awareness as they were inscribed with messages that encourage observation of WHO recommended measures in the fight against COVID-19. As the economic strain of COVID-19  pandemic grows, the discourse around the formalization and recognition of the informal sector in Africa is garnering more attention. With support from TrustAfrica, BVTA and VISET co-hosted a breakfast meeting on 3 July 2020 to co-create solutions with private sector, local authorities, resident groups and informal traders that provide eco-friendly, healthy and secure trading spaces as part of a larger call for inclusive city design planning.

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Rights groups offer assistance to Luveve residents

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Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) in partnership with other organisations have offered assistance to Luveve residents who were affected by the diarrhoea outbreak. The suburb experienced a diarrhoea outbreak which resulted in the deaths of at least 13 people and affected thousands of residents. Speaking to CITE on Friday, BVTA Director Michael Ndiweni said they rendered support to the affected residents with some receiving medical assistance. “After seeing that residents in Luveve were affected by the diarrhoea outbreak, we came together with other organisations to offer assistance to the residents,” said Ndiweni. “We then formed what we termed Citizen working group on good governance to go on ground and engage with individuals who were directly affected, we tried to assist even with medical assistance. “Some residents received assistance with drips, some were taken for scans while others received pills. We even assisted with food hampers so that they have something to eat while taking their medication.” Relieving her ordeal, one of the victims, Thembelihle Simango said one of the challenges they faced during the time was that the unavailability of running water. “I felt weak and spent most of the time in the toilet. It was quite difficult because we had no water to flush the toilets,” said Simango. “I had tried to follow the guidelines to boil the water before consuming it but it seems it was highly contaminated and we ended up buying purifying pills that is when the situation got better.” Ashley Funye from the Citizen Manifesto implored council representatives to assist communities during crisis times.

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Informal traders lobby for the re-opening of Beitbridge border

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Informal traders lobby for the re-opening of Beitbridge border Beitbridge Border Post Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter Cross-border traders have attributed rising cases of smuggling through illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River to the closure of the Beitbridge Border Post to non-essential travel. The traders have since lobbied Government to reopen the border post for members in the sector under strict regulations. Informal traders who depend on buying goods from South Africa and Botswana to sell locally have been seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen countries closing borders to contain the spread of the virus. Informal traders believe that reopening borders will reduce smuggling cases and the spread of the virus between countries. Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) executive director Mr Michael Ndiweni said cases of border jumping can be reduced if informal sector players are allowed to trade across the region. “As an association, we are aware of the threat posed by Covid-19 pandemic that necessitated the two governments to put restrictions and close borders in an effort to contain its spread. However, we are pained by what is happening at illegal entry and exit points despite the noble effort to contain the spread of the ravaging virus between the two countries. We witnessed a video of scores of informal traders having been rounded by South African security forces at an illegal point of exit making painful testimonies about their plight,” said Mr Ndiweni. He appealed to the Zimbabwe and South African governments to put in place measures to ensure that informal traders can cross the border under Covid-19 regulations for trading purposes. Mr Ndiweni said working in a liaison with the two governments, special shops can be set up to serve informal traders to mitigate against the spread of the virus. He proposed that the neighbouring countries can come up with strict travel timeframes for traders. “We are appealing to the Zimbabwean and South African governments to urgently look into this issue as the plight of people crossing at illegal points poses a danger of spreading the virus and may even expose women to rape, robbery and harassment among other viles that happen at these illegal points of entry or exit. “BVTA also proposes the controlled movement of people between the two countries. Immigration authorities can join hands in ensuring that there is smooth and safe crossing, whilst informal cross border traders observe the WHO recommended measures to combat the spread of the virus,” he said. — @nqotshili

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Cross-border traders push for border re-opening

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ENDORS and cross border traders in Bulawayo who are facing starvation have appealed to the Zimbabwean and South African governments to partially re-open Beitbridge Border Post to enable them to resume trade after waiting in vain for State-funded cushioning allowances. Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) director Michael Ndiweni yesterday said food shortages and price hikes were weighing heavily on vendors, most of whom have been forced to remain indoors due to lockdown restrictions. “We are calling on the two governments to partially open the border in light of what we saw last week when a number of traders were rounded up by the South African military when they were crossing at some illegal exit points to Mussina,” Ndiweni said. “Some were saying they were crossing to buy medication, some were sick and said they preferred to walk from Beitbridge to buy goods.” Zimbabwe’s healthcare system is currently paralysed due to the ongoing strike by nurses and doctors over poor working conditions, lack of protective wear. The impoverished health workers are also demanding salaries in United States dollars. Ndiweni said crossing through bushes increased chances of women getting raped as they were the ones mostly in informal trading. “This is a risk because those crossing will end up getting robbed and more importantly in light of COVID-19-controlled entries, this causes a serious threat in terms of the spread of the virus,” he said. “In our view, the two governments should set special shops that are monitored for people to buy goods and go back to Zimbabwe while being monitored.” “Something urgent has to be done, the issue of opening borders partially will be very important,” Ndiweni said. The government in March pledged a $600 million cash transfer facility for one million underprivileged families and vendors, but has not fulfilled the pledge. Only 200 000 households have reportedly received $200 each from the facility, which BVTA recently said was not enough to buy a 10kg bag of roller meal.

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