A devastating fire erupted at Mbare’s Magaba area late last night, leaving Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) traders reeling from significant losses.
The blaze
destroyed valuable tools and equipment, including grinders, fridges, drills and
plumbing materials, dealing a heavy blow to local entrepreneurs who rely on
daily trade for survival.
When the ZBC
News crew arrived at the scene, distraught traders were seen sifting through
the charred remains of their property, attempting to salvage anything left from
the inferno.
One affected
trader shared, “I lost everything in the fire last night. I had just restocked,
and now I’m at a complete loss. I don’t know how I’ll survive, this was my only
source of livelihood.”
Another trader
echoed similar sentiments, “It is heartbreaking. The fire came just after I had
bought new stock. Watching it all burn was devastating.”
A third victim
added, “I am shattered. All my hopes are gone. This is where I earned money to
feed and take care of my children.”
Mr Christopher
Makopa, Chairperson of the Mukuvisi Manufacturing Traders Association, said the
estimated value of the property destroyed stands at approximately US$15 000.
He praised the
swift response by the fire brigade, which he said helped prevent further
damage.
“It is sad that
traders were affected by the inferno which destroyed their property yesterday.
I was called by the security informing me of the incident, and I want to thank
the fire brigade for their swift reaction because we could have lost a lot of
property. According to our preliminary investigations, the property destroyed
is approximately US$15 000,” he said.
Zimbabwe
Republic Police (ZRP) National Spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi,
confirmed investigations into the incident are underway.
“We are
currently working together with the Fire Brigade to establish the cause of the
fire incident which destroyed the property in Mbare,” said Commissioner Nyathi.
This is not the
first time Mbare has suffered such a disaster. Last year, the Mbare Musika
vegetable market was gutted by fire, prompting government intervention and the
subsequent construction of a state-of-the-art market in the area. ZBC
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