INFORMAL traders, who are currently unable to ply their
trade on the capital’s pavements, have invaded open spaces around industrial
areas, mainly in Graniteside, posing a COVID-19 health hazard as they flout
lockdown regulations.
Since relaxation of the COVID-19 lockdown in April, NewsDay
has regularly witnessed informal traders, who are flocking to factories and
wholesalers in the industrial area to purchase plastic buckets, blankets,
plates and clothing items, among others, jostling to buy their wares without
observing social distancing or wearing face masks.
Frustrated shop attendants’ efforts to enforce social
distancing in the queues have failed to bear fruit.
Some enterprising vendors display their goods on open
spaces to sell to those who are not keen on pushing and shoving in the
meandering queues at the wholesalers.
The hordes of informal traders, despite the many roadblocks
set up by security forces to enforce lockdown regulations, still find their way
to the industrial areas.
Harare City Council spokesperson Michael Chideme yesterday
said the informal sector should adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.
“Our law enforcement section is working to ensure that the
informal sector adheres to the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines,” Chideme
said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration in March
pledged $600 million to cushion one million vulnerable families over three
months, but has only disbursed funds to 200 000 beneficiaries. The majority of
Zimbabweans work in the informal sector.
Speaking to NewsDay on condition of anonymity, one vendor
in Graniteside said she was forced to dice with death so that she could feed
her family.
“I come this side to buy these items so that I can sell and
make money to feed my family. I’m a single parent, so buying and selling helps
me to feed my little children who cannot support me financially. I am also
afraid of contracting the virus, but I cannot let my children starve. I’m
trying by all means to wear my mask most of the time, especially when I’m in a
crowded place,” she said.
Munashe Katsande from Mbare said he goes around selling
hats and shoes to survive the harsh economic conditions.
“I think the pandemic is real and I’m also afraid of
contracting the coronavirus, but I cannot sit at home without food and money.
Selling is what I do for a living and my family needs to be looked after. If I
stay at home, who will bring food to the table? I have never benefited from the
food that the government gives to people, so I have to come here and look for
money,” he said.
Mnangagwa on Tuesday imposed a dusk to dawn curfew and
ordered all non-working sections of the population to stay at home.
He said only registered small to medium enterprises and
food markets would be allowed to operate.
Despite this, unregistered SMEs and informal traders are
going about their business. In Gweru, they are operating under closed doors.
Car wash operators, saloons, mobile phone accessories
dealers, vendors and money changers all devised ways to beat the strict
regulations imposed as they handpick clients from the streets and secretly take
them to their premises to ward off security forces. Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment