By Abigail Mzimbawakhe (Midlands Correspondent)
Vendors at the Kudzanai Bus Terminus have agreed to pay a fee of $10 per week to complement the income of over $720 000 by realised Gweru City Council (GCC) annually.
Gweru Vendors Association (GVA) representatives through the Zimbabwe Chamber for Small to Medium Enterprises (ZCSME) have proposed to make sure that all vendors trading at the terminus pay weekly fees to the Local Authority.
Vendors who were ordered to destroy their illegal structures at Kudzanai Bus Terminus within seven days appealed to the ZCSME to intercede between them and the council so that they could continue vending at the site.
The council agreed to allocate vendors that only sell sealed and packaged food and those who were cooking and selling food at the terminus to be removed in a bid to prevent the spread of diseases such as typhoid and cholera.
ZCSME Gweru Chapter Chairman Tafadzwa Mazorodze said to boost the council’s revenues that amounts to more than $720 000 per year, vendors are going to pay their weekly payments since they are making a living at the terminus.
“Gweru Vendors Association made a proposal to the Mayor (Josiah Makombe) that those with structures set up by the council will pay about $50 and all other vendors who had invaded Kudzanai Bus Terminus after being chased from the Central Business District (CBD) will pay $10 per week.
“If the money is paid weekly it will assist the council. There are about 1 500 vendors at Kudzanai Bus Terminus and if they pay well the council will get about $15 000 per week which translates to about $60 000 per month,” he said.
Mazorodze went on to say that they asked the city fathers to spare all standard structures until the council builds and allocates them bays so that they can leave the illegal structures inside the terminus.
Angeline Zivanai Chekai, the Gweru Vendors Association Secretary said the vendors are providing people with affordable goods unlike big supermarkets that are very expensive.
Chekai said that they will help maintain the hygiene at the terminus by reminding vendors that they should always clean their trading areas.