Online Reporter
Nokuthula Dube
DEVELOPMENT of the main Mbare Musika Traders Market is set to commence next week, ahead of the completion of a temporary market also under construction that is now expected to be ready by early February.
The new Mbare Traders’ Market will be a three-storey structure designed to accommodate more than 10 000 traders.
It will also feature a budget hotel and cold storage facilities for fresh produce.
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed company Masimba Holdings has been contracted to undertake the project, which was rolled out after a fire destroyed part of the country’s largest and oldest market on October 8 last year.
The new market is expected to be completed within six months.
In preparation for the transition, authorities are currently registering traders who previously held contracts with the City of Harare and were operating from the old market.
These traders will be the first occupants of the temporary market, which will accommodate over 5 000 traders.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said: “We will be finalising the designs for the main traders market next week (this week).
“Our goal is to create a global-standard traders market here.”
He said verification of eligible traders to operate in the temporary market was ongoing.
“The list of traders is divided into two parts,” he continued.
“The first includes those with formal contracts with the City of Harare, and this list has already been published.
“However, some traders were subletting, bringing the total to around 4 500.
“The published list reflects the legitimate traders who will be relocated first to continue operations as construction progresses.”
Once the new market is completed, he added, these traders will be relocated there, allowing work on the main market to begin.
Meanwhile, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume confirmed the revised timeline for the temporary market’s completion.
“We initially aimed to complete the temporary market by the end of December, but we are now targeting early February, likely by the first of the month,” he said.
Cllr Mafume said both affected traders and new traders will benefit from the expanded market.
“We have collected data on vendors who previously operated at the old market.
“We will prioritise those affected and then expand to accommodate more, as the new market is larger than the previous one,” he said.
Once the temporary market becomes operational, contractors will begin upgrading the old market.
Regarding rental fees, Cllr Mafume said: “The standard fees are already gazetted in the council budget, but we are still finalising the details based on the developments completed so far.”
