Ngoni Dapira

THE movement of artisans and tradesmen operating at Murahwa (Green) Market in Mutare will be set in motion by August latest, City of Mutare town Clerk Blessing Chafesuka has said.

This was revealed during a recently held press briefing where he announced the local authority’s approved US$61 million 2025 budget.

Murahwa Market will be undergoing a significant upgrade as part of a larger Sakubva Urban Renewal project, aiming to improve the market’s infrastructure, hygiene standards, and overall aesthetic appeal, which will include new stalls, better sanitation facilities, and organized trading spaces to promote decent work.

City of Mutare town clerk Blessing Chafesuka

“Green Market will be our first project under the urban renewal project. At the right time we will remove the people there to a temporary working site. The company formed by NSSA (National Social Security Authority) and City of Mutare is now there and the resources are now there,” revealed Chafesuka.

Adding, “There are a few internal administrative issues left to handle, but if all goes well by August latest we should be starting the process of moving people from Green Market to the temporary working site and start construction of our modern industrial hub which is in line with our smart city drive. This year definitely we will set off the project,” he said.

Ever since the ground breaking ceremony of the Sakubva Urban Renewal project in 2019, which was presided over by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, there have been many false starts over the years. Initially Banc ABC was supposed to bankroll the project but nothing eventually materialized. NSSA then entered into an agreement with the City of Mutare in 2021, which is now finally promising to bear fruits three years down the lane.

Chafesuka said the Sakubva Urban Renewal project includes the demolition of old housing infrastructure as well as flats replacing with modern high rise flats, rebuilding the Murahwa Market, Sakubva bus terminus and a state of the art shopping complex.

The anticipated reconstruction of Murahwa Market into a modern industrial hub resonates with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) goal of promoting decent work for all. It defines decent work as “productive work for women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity”.

Zimbabwe is a signatory to the ILO’s 2030 Decent Work agenda, but has for many years been lagging due to the economic depression, which has led to the closure of many big companies or scaling down of operations. This has over the years undoubtedly presented serious challenges for advancing human rights such as the right to decent work. That backdrop led to the rise of the informal sector.

According to the latest Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) data from their Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the informal sector is the largest employer in the country, with recent reports indicating that the non-agricultural informal sector comprises around 41.3% of the employed population, making it the dominant source of employment in the country.

However, jobs in the informal sector result in decent work deficits, which according to the United Nations (UN) are characterized by poor quality, unproductive jobs, unsafe work spaces and insecure income.

This was the state of affairs at Murahwa Market which had less than 100 work stations in deplorable state, given that ever since the 1980s when the place was built, no renovations have ever been done to upgrade work stations. Despite being a one-stop-centre where any service is guaranteed from metal fabrication, carpentry, motor mechanics and tin smiting, the work stations have no sheds in the event of rain. The ablution facilities are in a bad state  and cannot hold the overcrowded number of people over 500, who work there, whilst the road networks, the tar roads are now heavily potholed now appearing more like gravel roads.

MITA president Itai Kariparire

Mutare Informal Traders Association (MITA) president, Itai Kariparire, popularly known as Mabhobho said the Sakubva Urban Renewal project was long overdue. He said they are happy that they are now part of the process because they are well informed of updates and looking forward to the development.

Kariparire said the temporary site which is nearby about 500 metres away, an undeveloped area opposite Sakubva Moffat Hall, will accommodate more people.

“We are ready to move. We were against moving before because they had not identified an alternative place, but that has since been resolved. All of their project plans we are now being informed and updated on developments. The new place will have 300 work stations or shops, but at Green Market there were less than 100 official work stations. We have been encouraging people to formally apply to the Housing Department to formally get working spaces,” said Kariparire.