HARARE
–
The
Zimbabwean
government
has
announced
plans
to
rebuild
Mbare
Traders’
Market
after
a
devastating
fire
on
October
8,
while
also
taking
the
opportunity
to
bring
order
to
the
previously
lawless
but
high-volume
marketplace.
The
reconstruction
aims
to
create
a
more
structured
environment
that
facilitates
formalisation
and
ensures
traders
pay
taxes,
Cabinet
said.
Cabinet
approved
the
initiative
in
partnership
with
the
private
sector
during
a
briefing
led
by
Minister
of
Local
Government
and
Public
Works
Daniel
Garwe
on
Tuesday.
The
fire,
which
destroyed
the
market
and
affected
4,695
traders,
prompted
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
to
declare
it
a
State
of
Disaster.
“Pertinent
to
note
is
that
similar
fire
incidences
have
been
recorded
at
other
markets
in
the
City
of
Harare,
with
the
primary
causes
being
use
of
highly
combustible
materials
and
lack
of
fire-prevention
infrastructure.
The
Harare
City
Council
does
not
have
the
capacity
to
address
the
incidents,”
Information
minister
Jenfan
Muswere
said
in
a
post-Cabinet
briefing.
To
resolve
this,
the
government
will
partner
with
a
leading
engineering
and
construction
firm
to
rebuild
the
market
using
a
Design,
Engineering,
Procurement,
Construction,
and
Finance
(DEPC+F)
model.
“This
approach
is
expected
to
speed
up
the
creation
of
high-quality
facilities,
enabling
traders
to
resume
operations
in
a
more
orderly
environment
conducive
to
formalisation.
“This
model
will
ensure
that
high-quality
facilities
are
completed
and
commissioned
within
the
shortest
possible
time.
It
will
also
allow
traders
to
resume
operations
in
an
orderly
environment
that
facilitates
formalisation
and
payment
of
taxes,”
Muswere
continued,
adding
that
the
government
plans
to
replicate
this
model
in
other
markets
across
Zimbabwe.
In
the
interim,
Muswere
said,
government
will,
under
the
disaster
management
framework,
provide
the
necessary
livelihood
and
social
assistance
support
to
ensure
that
the
affected
traders
pull
through
the
immediate
difficulties
they
face. Kukurigo