Masvingo fruit and vegetable vendors are counting their
losses as tens of tonnes of their orders are rotting away following the abrupt
closure of Chitima, the biggest informal market in Masvingo on Wednesday last
week.
This was confirmed by Tamisai Katini, Chitima Fruit and
Vegetable Vendors Association chairperson in an interview with The Mirror
today.
Katini said that there are 35 tonnes of bananas, 21 tonnes
of avocadoes and an unspecified quantity of tomatoes that have either been
thrown away or are rotting because of the closure of the market.
“These products were already ordered when the Masvingo
District Covid-19 Taskforce ordered the closure of the market. Seven trucks of
bananas and four trucks of avocados were already on the road when we got the
order to shut down.
“Farmers threw away their tomatoes while bananas and
avocados are starting to rot and Chitima and Tanaiwa market at the rank where
they are stashed away. It is a huge loss to the vendors,” said Katini.
Efforts to get a comment from the chairman of Masvingo
District Covid – 19 Taskforce, Ray Hove were fruitless.
Katini said the vendors have since sent a petition to Hove
requesting the Committee to revisit the question of reopening Chitima under new
conditions of operation.
She said that the conditions at Tanaiwa where most of the
fruits are stashed away are bad and trading time is limited to a few hours and
this was causing congestion and creating serious inefficiencies.
She expressed concern that markets in other cities like
Harare and Bulawayo are open. Masvingo Mirror
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