According to The Herald, the Government, Harare City
Council and the contractor formally sealed the deal. The contractor is
scheduled to start moving on-site tomorrow.
Further, a team of experts from Government, Harare City
Council and Masimba Holdings will also visit modern markets in Russia to take a
leaf on materials being used for the construction of modern markets.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe,
Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume and Masimba Holdings chief executive Fungai Matahwa
signed the deal yesterday.
“It is also important to note that the designs that we are
talking about are going to be scrutinised by His Excellency the President of
the Republic of Zimbabwe. He has got a personal interest in ensuring that our
small to medium enterprises are given the decency that they deserve as players
in the economic development of Zimbabwe,” said Minister Garwe.
The minister said the Mbare Traders Market speaks to the
entire nation towards Vision 2030. “In that vision, we are directed to pursue
and ensure that we implement the policy on urban transformation, the policy on
urban regeneration, retrofitting our buildings that are dilapidated, that are
too old, that also speaks to Vision 2030,” he said.
“It is sad as it is that our relatives, the traders in
Mbare lost their money, produce, and wares due to the inferno but there is a
huge opportunity that has risen out of that, starting the journey of urban
transformation.”
Minister Garwe said they will cascade the development
throughout all traders’ markets countrywide including Glenview 8 common for
perennial fires.
“So, we want to ensure that our small to medium enterprises
have got decent, affordable and modern operational areas for their businesses.”
Minister Garwe said they have been directed to visit a
place in Russia which has got “very modern markets”.
“The Mayor and his team from the Harare City Council and
the engineers from our investor will be part of that delegation to go and see
what other people are doing so that we can replicate it here,” he said.
“The wheel is already round, there is no need to sit down
and start redesigning it. What we need to do is to refine it and make it
better. Let’s make our people’s markets better for the future generations and
for ourselves as well.”
Minister Garwe said plans have also been mulled to convert
Carter House in Mbare into an affordable elegant hotel for farmers and traders
who will be visiting the country’s largest and most iconic markets of Mbare.
“We are going to be redeveloping and repurposing Carter
into a budget hotel, with affordable rates for farmers that are coming as far
as Domboshava, Mudzi, Murewa, who can’t travel back within the same day.
“They need some accommodation that is very affordable. So,
Mayor, we want to work together to ensure that we provide a service to the
residents of Harare, to the citizens of Zimbabwe.”
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