The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Reporter
Mutare city Council has shut down the Sakubva produce market with immediate effect in a move to decentralise operations and decongest the Sakubva market to promote social distancing.
Originally, Council had designated four areas for the fresh produce market in Dangamvura, Chikanga, Hobhouse and left Sakubva bus terminus operational to cater for the Sakubva market. Residents in other suburbs could choose the nearest and most convenient market to buy from.
However, in a statement released today, Mutare City Council public relations manager Mr Spren Mutiwi said only three markets, with the exception of Sakubva, would be functional between 6am and 10am daily, with effect from tomorrow.
Farmers were supposed to have started selling their produce in the decentralised areas today after their representatives reached an agreement to allocate each other areas to work from.
A survey carried out by The Manica Post showed that very few farmers had delivered produce to the decentralised markets.
At Dangamvura Ground, less than five farmers supplying green vegetables, bananas and onions showed up. The rest took their produce to Sakubva where they claimed they were guaranteed of driving sales.
Mr Mutiwi said the move to close Sakubva Musika would compel the farmers to utilise the designated markets thus minimising the risk of spreading Covid-19 at Sakubva, where hundreds of people from all over Mutare still congregated to buy fresh produce.
“The farmers met last week with their representatives and they reached an agreement that each farmer would be allocated a market to supply so that there would be a balance of the produce supplied to each market. But they shifted goalposts and they all went to Sakubva today. This move will force them to comply so that we can minimise the number of people gathered in one place,” he said.
Sakubva produce market was reopened three weeks ago after President Mnangagwa had stressed that the wheels of the economy must keep turning.
However, the market, which has been operational between 6am and 9am everyday, remained a headache for authorities as the number of people gathered there at any given time was too big, with the need for social distancing ignored.
