ZRBF

Mixed Fortunes For Bulawayo Informal traders

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Informal traders in Bulawayo heaved a sigh of relief following the relaxation of lockdown restrictions which allowed them a degree of leverage to operate with ease. However, they still have to grapple with closed borders, economic challenges and clashes with authorities. The lockdown in its strictest form, presented an unprecedented situation for Bulawayo informal traders to stay afloat. With the recent easing of restrictions came joy for the traders who had endured a torrid time in confinement to their homes. Mr Mkhulunywelwa Maphosa who is part of Market Bailiffs who monitors COVID-19 compliance in Food and Agricultural Markets in Bulawayo, under Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) funded Sizimele Consortium said, “Presently the situation has improved in that vendors have the freedom to go about their businesses. However there is a lot of complacency which is dangerous to the whole Bulawayo community.” Maphosa revealed that vendors applaud ZRBF Sizimele which offers assistance to vendors and informal traders. “They also thank the ZRBF Sizimele for distributing sanitisers, face masks and water dispensers in all vending markets in Bulawayo. Vendors in Bulawayo are also happy in that they receive trainings in business skills, financial literacy and online trading,” added Maphosa. Although there is a general feeling of relief and excitement among informal traders due to the easing of conditions, some of the challenges they faced pre lockdown are still bugging them. “The situation is pretty much the same for some of us because we are still facing the same challenges we had pre-lockdown. We are still being subjected to unfair treatment by the police and we have lost customers because of this prevailing economic situation and the borders remain closed”, said Madade Ndlovu an informal trader. When asked about what his organization is doing in a bid to help informal traders, Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) President Aleck Ndlovu said, “Our organization is advocating strongly for the protection of the livelihoods by both local authorities and Government while enforcing lockdown regulations and COVID-19 protocols. We are also pushing the Government to assist members with the promised COVID-19 cushioning allowances,” he said.

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Provision of bins essential in market places

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The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) funded Market Aggregation COVID-19 Vendors Response – Market Access Project under the Sizimele Consortium has identified the need for waste receptors like bins and polythene bags in food and agricultural market places in Bulawayo. Market Bailiffs told the Special Edition Vendors Voice that some markets do not have refuse disposal bins nor polythene bags which has led to disposal of waste in sanitary lanes or in the streets, inviting flies and causing outbreaks of bacterial diseases such as diarrhoea and other stomach ailments. “City fathers must provide vendors with refuse bins and provide garbage collectors to collect heaps of rubbish that has been piling up for a while behind MaDlodlo Beer garden near Khothama market,” Simiselo Ncube, Ward 8 Chairperson and Market Bailiff told the Special Edition Vendors Voice.  Market Bailiffs have reported that in most areas waste is collected once a week, which may not be efficient for busy food and agricultural market places. “Garbage is collected once a week at Konron market and this is not enough”, Nqobile Ndlovu told the Special Edition Vendors Voice. The laxity in the collection of waste in market places causes unpleasant odours and flies breed in the areas and this has become a problem for markets selling food and traders’ lamentation is that they end up losing potential customers.   Market Bailiffs have been encouraging vendors and informal traders who sell in market places and in the streets to bury materials that are biodegradable and adopt the concept of environmental management, reduce, re-use or recycle to keep their market places clean. Unhygienic practices lead to unhealthy and or unsafe food, resulting in loss of products and market shares.

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Business and Financial Literacy trainings change fortunes for SMEs

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The trainings on Business and Financial Literacy have made an immediate impact to over a dozen SMEs that were equipped last month with skills on adherence to local authority regulations and importance of licensing through the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) in the Sizimele Consortium.  “Our ward has collected fingerprints and passport-sized photos as part of the licensing requirements, we are now waiting for Bulawayo City Council to communicate  when they are coming as they are moving from ward to ward”, Siphathisiwe Ndlovu told the Special Edition Vendors Voice. Another graduate, Preety Mpofu said “I have resorted to selling wares of the same kind as I learnt that I cannot sell everything.” “I now sell sweets and chocolates after doing my research and noting that there are a few people in that kind of trade, now my business is booming as a lot of children love sweets and chocolates”, continued Mpofu Concilia Ndadzungira said she had stopped accepting mobile money and two-bond notes from customers, however, in the training she was encouraged to accept all forms of payment and now her business is growing. “I am ordering using mobile money and my business is moving fast, I never run out of money to order”, added Ndadzungira Jotina Lusinga weighed in and said “Ever since I started having a record book, my business has been growing and sales are increasing, I am now teaching other vendors and informal traders on the importance of having a record book”. “I have also been looking at my stall on how I could increase my current sales. I brought in new related products and sales increased a bit, I am constantly looking at what else to add that’s related and supportive to my current stock”, “We are grateful for the eye-opening training that was brought to us by Sizimele Consortium”, summed Witness Mzizi .

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Consortium hands COVID-19 materials

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Vendors and informal traders have breathed a sigh of relief after hundreds of hand sanitizers, face masks, hand washing water dispensers were distributed to various food markets in Bulawayo. Targeted areas included Cowdray Park, Entumbane, Nkulumane (Sekusile), Magwegwe (terminus area), Mzilikazi and Lobengula (around Konron Shopping Centre). The Sizimele Consortium is responding to challenges that have been created by the novel corona virus in food and agricultural markets, through empowering them with COVID-19 fighting materials that are being distributed under the Market Aggregation COVID-19 Vendors Response – Market Access project. Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA), a member of the Consortium is engaging in a series of urgent distribution of COVID-19 fighting materials to vendors and informal traders in food and agricultural market places drawn from 15 selected wards.     “We are happy with what Sizimele Consortium has done for us, we had one last five-litre sanitiser container left for the whole market, we did not know how we were going to source another one, we appreciate you for considering us”, said Christopher Charumbira, Entumbane Complex Secretary General. Vendors and Informal traders in these areas have expressed gratitude for the gesture by Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF)  funded Sizimele Consortium, as the initiative has eased the burden for them making their own contributions and sacrifices towards the purchasing of hand sanitizers, face masks and water dispensers for use in their food markets.   Last month, the Sizimele  Consortium also handed paint to Bulawayo City Council for re- marking of trading bays to ensure physical distancing. The local authority had indicated that it is resource constrained and as a result it had slowed progress on re-marking and re- allocating of expanded trading bays.  

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ZRBF a boon in the COVID-19 fight

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The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) that funds the Sizimele Consortium in the Market Aggregation COVID-19 Vendors Response – Market Access project has brought relief on the plight of vendors and informal traders in market places. After visiting markets in Bulawayo, Informal traders in market places have expressed gratitude on COVID-19 awareness intervention. Through radio calls, some vendors and informal traders said the project came at the right time as it has helped save many lives from contracting the virus. BVTA has been conducting radio shows to spread awareness on COVID-19, funded by Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF). The radio program has resulted in resilience as Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has been responding swiftly in the allocation of trading spaces in line with COVID-19 protocols that Market Bailiffs have been raising in radio programs. Market Bailiffs deployed in markets have noticed that proper awareness about the spread of the dreaded coronavirus appears to be still eluding some sections of the society, particularly those linked to essential services, in spite of the constant rise in the number of positive cases. Social distancing between workers in informal markets has been difficult because of crowding. For instance in markets people work close to each other and do not have walls separating them. Concerns are being raised by Market Bailiffs that due to the ease of lockdown regulations, some vendors and informal traders and customers have ceased to wear their masks properly, they drop them to their chins, leaving the mouth and the nose uncovered, thereby exposing themselves to the virus. Market Bailiffs have been constantly reminding them on the importance of wearing masks and sanitising of hands or washing hands with soap as an alternative if they do not have sanitisers. The ZRBF funded Sizimele Consortium through the Market Aggregation project is also providing or installing hand washing water dispensers branded with COVID-19 awareness messages and donating hand sanitizers for distribution in market places where defined beneficiaries access commodities as well as purchasing paint for marking physical distancing spaces in marketplaces to help fight the spread of COVID-19 in market places. Market Bailiffs continue to remind vendors and informal traders of COVID-19 guidelines that must be constantly followed in order to protect themselves, their families and their communities from the virus. The guidelines are in compliance with those stipulated by World Health Organisation (WHO) which include washing of hands with soap or using sanitisers, wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.

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