By Lungile Masuku
The informal sector has become a source of employment and a backbone of the economy. Many people have joined the informal trading because of alarming high unemployment rate. Thus Gwanda town has become one of the towns where vending is rampant. The central business district (cbd) has become an eyesore as people sell their wares alongside the main road and on shop pavements.
In its quest to provide a decent place for informal trading, Ministry of Women Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises has availed funds to construct vending marts within cbd. Previously people were trading from vending shacks and these were demolished by the Municipality of Gwanda during Covid-19 era. The project to construct vending marts started during the covid 19 period in 2020 and stalled due to inadequate funding. Funds have since been availed to complete the project. If completed, the project will benefit 100 informal traders. It is a great stride though not everyone will benefit. We are hopeful that more of these vending marts will be available to every informal trader to change the current situation where vendors are scattered all over the central business district.
