By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Masvingo – Demolition of Masvingo City Council property has started as per order from the Ministry.
The popular chitima market, the down town near Metro Peech and the Flea Market close to council structures have been demolished.
Thie has left a lot of informal traders asking if council will live up to it’s promise of renovating the council structures after destroying their trading centres.
Masvingo Town Clerk, Edward Mukaratirwa confirmed the developments but said they were not demolishing but simply working towards the refurbishment of all council structures which will be used when the lock down period is over.
“We did not act on our own accord, the renovation of council structures is on going in different parts in the country as a directive from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works which stated that we should take advantage of the national lockdown and renovate the Cities,” he said.
Mukaratirwa added that, “We are simply cleaning up and we want to carry out renovations at the markets. Renovations are being done at existing markets and we are also going to establish new shelters for the traders to use after the national lockdown.”
This is the right time for the renovations as the nation is facing a national lockdown and the council took advantage of that as business is not in operation since 31March and there is no inconviniences being caused at the moment as people are staying at home,” he said.
The Ministry had called upon all Town Clerks, Secretariat and Chief Executive Officers to take advantage of the national lockdown to clean up and renovate Small and Medium Enterprise and informal traders’ workspaces so that these areas will be more conducive to operate from when business opens.
