Council relocates Glen View 8 carpenters

MORE than 4 000 artisans and craftsmen operating at Glen View 8 Home Industry Complex in Harare are set to be relocated to the nearby Chemhanza Grounds in Glen View 3, paving the way for the development of a modern small and medium enterprises (SMEs) facility.

Harare City Council Small to Medium Enterprises Committee chairperson, Councillor Denford Ngadziore, said the relocation should begin “within a few days”.

The relocation follows a devastating fire on Sunday, the latest in a series of infernos that have repeatedly gutted one of the capital’s busiest furniture manufacturing and trading hubs.

Authorities said the move was part of urgent measures to safeguard livelihoods and create a safer, more organised working environment for thousands of informal traders.

Harare City Council is finalising preparations for the mass relocation, which will see the artisans move to a five-hectare site that previously housed multiple football grounds now lying idle.

Work is already underway to install ablution facilities and provide potable water at the new site, while demarcations and designs have been approved.

“As council we had a joint committee where we resolved to relocate all the 4 000 traders who are here,” said Cllr Ngadziore.

“We are moving them to Glen View 3 at Chemhanza grounds.

“The land there is five hectares and it is enough to fit all the traders.”

He said the intervention was being done in collaboration with Government agencies, including the Department of Civil Protection, following the declaration of Glen View 8 as a state of disaster by President Mnangagwa.

He said the remaining task was the installation of ablution facilities and provision of clean, safe running water.

“Within a few days we should be done, then the traders will be relocated,” added Cllr Ngadziore.

“We are working well with the Government, especially the Department of Civil Protection, following the declaration of the state of disaster.

“If it has been declared such, it means our response is supposed to be efficient because the matter is urgent.”

Cllr Ngadziore said once traders are moved to Chemhanza Grounds, Council will begin redeveloping the Glen View 8 site into a modern complex with safety infrastructure.

“As you can see, the fire hydrants here are not working, they have been blocked. In the new building there will be hydrants and all the safety equipment, and the traders will be arranged according to their line of trade,” he said.

He said the redeveloped Glen View 8 facility will comply with safety standards, provide a more structured trading environment and reduce the risk of further disasters, while preserving the livelihoods of thousands of families who depend on the market.

The home industry, which opened its doors at the turn of the millennium, has long been the heartbeat of Harare’s informal economy, attracting customers from across the city for its affordable furniture, building materials and other goods.

But frequent fires — sometimes occurring just weeks apart — have caused devastating losses, with many traders left without insurance or safety nets.

Last month’s fire destroyed property worth thousands of dollars, barely three weeks before Sunday’s inferno.

For many traders, the scale of the losses has been crippling.

“I watched helplessly as my stock worth nearly US$8 000 turned into ashes. I have no insurance, and this business was my only source of income,” said Mr Tawanda Moyo, a furniture dealer.

Another trader, Mrs Rudo Chigumba, said she welcomed the council’s decision to move them.

“We cannot continue operating under such unsafe conditions,” she said.

“Every year we lose our goods to fire. At least if the new site has water, toilets and fire hydrants, we will feel safer.”

Another trader, who identified himself as Cde Chimutashu said the move was overdue.

“The fires have been happening since 2010,” he said.

“The Government should create two separate rows for displaying furniture and another for the workshops.

“The fires are starting from workshops.

Another trader who chose to remain anonymous called for council to grant them more time to mobilise funds.

“The move to relocate us to Chemhanza is a good initiative but it might affect us financially as relocation requires a lot of money especially after we were affected by the recent fire on Sunday,” she said.

“Currently, I want money for school fees, rent at home and at work.

“So, I am pleading with council to give us some time to mobilise funds to address some of our daily problems.”

Experts say most of the fires at Glen View 8 are generally caused by unsafe electrical connections, the use of open flames for heating and highly flammable materials such as timber, foam and thinners stored in cramped wooden stalls.

Poor infrastructure, lack of functional fire hydrants and limited access for fire engines have worsened the situation, allowing small sparks to quickly escalate into destructive infernos. Herald