By staff reporter
Vendors who constitute the majority of informal traders in Zimbabwe say they are ready to meet WHO Covid-19 guidelines that will enable them to resume operations.
The revelation comes just a few days after President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that the sector can open provided it meets the WHO set guidelines.
In an interview, Gweru Vendors Association (GVA) secretary Angeline Chekai said informal traders can meet the set guidelines provided government offers them necessary support.
“We are able to meet the WHO protocols if we get enough assistance from the government and other stakeholders.
“We are willing to work with our government, such that we observe all the protocols set aside by WHO,” she said.
Chekai appealed to the government to put in place Covid-19 testing incentives to cushion vendors from the hefty prices charged.
“A vendor that sells bananas and freezits for a living cannot afford to pay a Covid-19 test of US$45,” she added.
Informal traders who mostly survive on hand to mouth were negatively impacted by the national lockdown that was announced in January.
Those who were caught operating in breach of the lockdown regulations were fined a hefty fee of ZW $5000.
Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) director Michael Ndiweni said they were working around the clock to adhere to the protocols but bemoaned compliance cost challenges.
“We are working very hard around the clock to support traders, even sometime mid last year we were distributing materials like masks and sanitisers to try and reduce the cost of compliance to traders we know that business last year has been very difficult.
“So we are working very hard with the partners to see how best we can come in to provide some materials.
“We already set aside some resources and we have made some procurement of sanitisers and thermometres that we are going to be distributing with effect from tomorrow onwards,” he said.
Ndiweni added that BVTA personnel would be moving around Bulawayo handing over some of the PPEs to ensure traders have something to start from.
Also speaking on the same issue, Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) director Samuel Wadzai called on the government to provide enough information on how traders can operate without violating lockdown regulations.
“We know basically the social distancing, face masking and other requirements.
“So we hope there is enough communication so that the people are not accused of doing what there are not supposed to be doing.
“Or to be accused of not doing enough to respond to the guidelines by the WHO,” he said.
Wadzai added that VISET would be running awareness campaigns to educate its members on what is expected of them.
“We have already developed some information materials which we are going to share with our members and we will continue to reach out to the media so that the same information is publicized,” he said.
Vendors: We are ready to meet WHO guidelines
