The evicted traders, who were running a variety of business, including grocery shops, carpentry, tailoring, welding and new and second hands clothes shops said they were left with nowhere to go following the closure of their shops.
“Armed council rangers come here last week and dumped all my wares outside before locking the premises. I have been leasing this shop since 1998 and I have been paying my rentals to council. I am a widow and I have been surviving through selling traditional herbs and vegetables,” said Agnes Muroiwa, who was operating in Tshabalala.
Muroiwa, who is now selling her wares in the open, vowed to fight council until she gets back her shop.
Another informal trader, Moses Moyo, who was operating a carpentry shop in Mpopoma said life had become difficult for him and his family since the time he was booted out of shop he was leasing.
“I have lost all my clients because of the closure. I also do not know how I am going to fulfil outstanding orders which I was working on. I am so stressed because the business was my sole breadwinner,” said Moyo.
The local authority has placed an advert in the local press inviting new applicants to rent the buildings. According to the notice, applications will only be accepted from Bulawayo residents who have lived in the city for at least 15 years.
“Council was losing a lot of income because most of the occupants were using the buildings illegally . Some people had gone for years without paying rentals while others were sub-letting ,” said Gift Banda, the deputy mayor.
The council owns numerous shops dotted around the high density suburbs, as well as service industry bays in Luveve and factory shells at Kelvin North phase one and two.
Post published in: News