Staff Reporter
The much-anticipated opening of the new Mbare Musika market is finally here, with the completion of a modern trading facility set to accommodate over 2,000 vendors in its first phase. This development marks a fresh start for traders who lost their businesses when a devastating fire gutted the old marketplace last year.
The newly constructed market is expected to bring order and improved working conditions for thousands of traders who had been operating under difficult circumstances following the fire. A rigorous verification process has been completed to ensure that affected vendors are fairly allocated spaces in the first phase of the project.
According to the Civil Protection Department’s acting chief director, Farai Hokonya, the Government has been meticulous in verifying trader details to ensure a smooth relocation process.
“A total of 5,134 affected traders submitted their names, and we carried out a thorough verification exercise. So far, we have verified 4,253 traders, and of these, 2,500 will be accommodated under phase one of the smart market initiative. The remaining vendors will be catered for in phase two, which is also in the pipeline. Construction is now complete, and soon we will start allocating trading spaces,” said Hokonya.
The revamped Mbare Musika market is designed to offer traders a more secure and hygienic trading environment. Key upgrades include enhanced fire safety systems, expanded trading spaces, and improved sanitation facilities, ensuring that traders and customers can conduct business in more organised and safer settings.
Mbare Constituency legislator, Martin Matinyanya, welcomed the development, highlighting its significance in restoring normalcy for the affected traders.
“We are pleased with the Government’s intervention, which aligns with the whole-of-government approach to addressing the plight of Mbare traders. Priority will be given to those who lost their livelihoods in the fire. What’s even more exciting is that the project will continue in different phases to accommodate more vendors,” said Matinyanya.
The fire that ravaged Mbare Musika last year left many traders in financial distress, prompting the Government to step in and declare the situation a state of disaster. The swift response led to the construction of a modernised marketplace aimed at restoring and improving business operations.
With the first phase complete and traders preparing to move in, Mbare Musika is poised to reclaim its status as one of Harare’s busiest commercial hubs, offering a fresh opportunity for growth and economic stability for thousands of informal traders.
