HARARE – The Zimbabwean government has announced plans to rebuild Mbare Traders’ Market after a devastating fire on October 8, while also taking the opportunity to bring order to the previously lawless but high-volume marketplace.
The reconstruction aims to create a more structured environment that facilitates formalisation and ensures traders pay taxes, Cabinet said.
Cabinet approved the initiative in partnership with the private sector during a briefing led by Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe on Tuesday.
The fire, which destroyed the market and affected 4,695 traders, prompted President Emmerson Mnangagwa to declare it a State of Disaster.
“Pertinent to note is that similar fire incidences have been recorded at other markets in the City of Harare, with the primary causes being use of highly combustible materials and lack of fire-prevention infrastructure. The Harare City Council does not have the capacity to address the incidents,” Information minister Jenfan Muswere said in a post-Cabinet briefing.
To resolve this, the government will partner with a leading engineering and construction firm to rebuild the market using a Design, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Finance (DEPC+F) model.
“This approach is expected to speed up the creation of high-quality facilities, enabling traders to resume operations in a more orderly environment conducive to formalisation.
“This model will ensure that high-quality facilities are completed and commissioned within the shortest possible time. It will also allow traders to resume operations in an orderly environment that facilitates formalisation and payment of taxes,” Muswere continued, adding that the government plans to replicate this model in other markets across Zimbabwe.
In the interim, Muswere said, government will, under the disaster management framework, provide the necessary livelihood and social assistance support to ensure that the affected traders pull through the immediate difficulties they face. Kukurigo
