Sometime last week, the authorities released a list of individuals slated to receive stalls in the newly constructed Mbare Musika Temporary Market. This market, situated opposite Carter House along Adbernie Road, was meant to be a fresh start. Instead, the list has ignited a firestorm of controversy and outrage amongst the vendors. Many are claiming that their names have been omitted, despite their long-standing operations within the original market. The original retail market is estimated to accommodate around 5,000 vendors, yet the published list falls significantly short of this number. What’s more, some of the names on the list appear to be either fictitious, duplicates, or variations of the same name, raising serious questions about the transparency and accuracy of the selection process.

Glaring Errors on the List

The errors on the list are far from subtle. A few of the more glaring examples include:

• Clare Manzvimbo and Clara Nzvimbo. Not only is “Nzvimbo” an uncommon surname, it literally means “spot” or “place” in Shona as in a location. Having two similar names, with one bearing such a pertinent surname is certainly odd.
• Clara Magirini and Clara Magreen. Again, “Magirini” and “Magreen” are highly unusual surnames, and the probability of two people sharing such a rare surname and the same first name is incredibly low.
• The name Collen Hotel is repeated, but with the variations Collen Hoetl and Collen Hotera. Further investigation reveals that there is indeed an actual Collen Hotera. The other iterations are almost certainly errors.
• We also find a Cinderella M Chingwa and a Cinderella Chingwa listed. Cinderella is not a common name in Zimbabwe. Nor is Chingwa (which translates to ‘bread’) a regularly used surname in the country.

These are just some of the glaring examples of the many errors on this list. We have included an image of part of the list for your perusal below.

What is Going On?

At Zimpricecheck, we conduct two price surveys at Mbare Musika each week. This involves early morning visits to the market to interact with farmers and vendors. Today, during our visit, the list was the primary topic of conversation. This is completely understandable, given that vendors are expected to relocate to the new temporary market on Adbernie Road sometime this week. While some vendors are excited about the prospect of a new, more organised space, many are anxious. The move could result in them losing their vending spots and, with it, their primary source of income. It seems for many the anxiety is even greater than it was the day after the fire that engulfed the market last year.

Many of the vendors we spoke with suspect that these problems are due to the machinations of so-called “space barons.” They claim, though they admitted it would be very difficult to prove, that influential individuals are manipulating the allocation and movement to the new location for their own benefit.

After our investigations, it appears that there are a number of possible factors contributing to the error-ridden list:

• Subletting: While it is estimated that 4,500 to 5,000 vendors operate within the old retail market, many of these are due to subletting. This implies that only a small fraction of the vendors hold direct lease agreements with the City of Harare. Some of the original leaseholders may have moved on, passed away, or transferred control to relatives without formalising the arrangements. The authorities appear to be aware of this situation and have tried to ascertain the identities of the current occupants. However the list of actual lessees is much smaller than 5000 which explains why the published list is smaller.
• The Legacy of the Federation: Although some of the names on the list appear to be made up, Mbare has a rich history connected to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. During this time, and for many years afterwards, many people immigrated from Malawi. Some adopted and were issued with English-derived surnames, and there was often inconsistency in how these surnames were recorded. Surnames like Motikari, Hotera, and Chingwa are not entirely uncommon in Mbare National and Matapi Flat communities.
• Multiple Lists: It is conceivable that the list was compiled from various sources. Some individuals may have been worried about losing their spots and consequently ensured their names appeared on multiple lists. There are often competing authorities vying for control of vending stalls in Mbare. This has resulted in violent clashes and even fatalities in the past, requiring interventions from the security services on multiple occasions. The errors would only become clear when the final list was released. It seems improbable that someone would knowingly publish a list with such obvious errors if there was malicious intent. These vending stalls are highly lucrative and therefore are subject to scrutiny at every stage of the process.
• Corruption: This is Zimbabwe, and we cannot dismiss the possibility of corruption. Someone might have added these fictitious names, anticipating they would go unnoticed, intending to then resell the lucrative vending stalls or lease them to their preferred parties. It is possible that the perpetrators underestimated the level of attention this whole operation would attract. And as to the culprits, it is possible they are the very space barons that people keep accusing of wrong doing.

Background

The Mbare Musika retail market vendors suffered a great loss in November of the past year when a devastating fire destroyed both their vending stalls and their stock. The resilience of these vendors was remarkable. The day after the fire, with the support of the authorities, they cleaned up the area and resumed their operations. Today, if you visit the Retail Market, you would be forgiven for thinking that the fire never happened. On the day of the fire, both the local and national governments pledged to assist the vendors by building a new and improved market. Many were initially skeptical. Both Harare City Council and the national government have made promises in the past which they have either failed to fulfill or have under delivered on.

Masimba Holdings, the company constructing the temporary Mbare Musika Retail Market on Adbernie Road, is on course to complete the project this week. During our visit this morning, we noticed that the construction workers are busy with the final stages of the project. In contrast to what we observed last month, the company has indeed built toilets for the vendors and shoppers. The temporary toilets we had believed were going to be used by the vendors are, in fact, being used by the construction workers themselves as they finish the project. Harare City Council and other relevant authorities are expecting the vendors currently operating in the original site to relocate as soon as the temporary market is completed.

Past Articles on Mbare Musika

We have previously covered Mbare Musika extensively you can read more about the market here:

• Mbare Musika retailers to be moved to new temporary market
• Mbare Musika retail market is back in business after the fire
• Tragedy Strikes Mbare Musika: Massive Fire Destroys Retail Market

This latest list has not only caused confusion but has also amplified existing tensions. As the move approaches the questions of fairness and transparency need to be addressed. As always we at Zimpricecheck will be keeping a keen eye on developments and will strive to keep you informed.