Popular Mbare flea market Mupedzanhamo ‘reopens’

Image: The Herald

Popular Harare flea market, Mupedzanhamo is set to reopen on or before 20 December 2022, the Harare City Council has disclosed.

Recently, government officials, City of Harare leadership, Small and Medium Enterprises Committee Chairperson Cllr Denford Ngadziore and other Councillors visited the market to check on preparations before reopening.

Mupedzanhamo a shona name loosely translated (a place where poverty ends) is a popular market for many items especially cheap second-hand clothes smuggled from outside the country.

The market was forced to close as the Harare City Council, the owners of the premises wanted to solve the crisis of space barons who were collecting money from the traders while the council was not receiving any revenue.

The said space barons were alleged to be linked to the ruling party, ZANU PF. At some times, politically linked violent clashes have erupted at the market.

In 2021, the Harare City Council was given a three-week ultimatum by the government to come up with a plan for the re-opening of Mupedzanhamo and solve the issue of space barons.

However, this was shelved as new Covid-19 restrictions were imposed to deal with the rise in infections and deaths.

The closure of Mupedzanhamo has been a blow to both traders and buyers who sell and sought cheap clothing items.

Zwnews