Riots: Tears as most count losses

At home we are struggling to make ends meet and my children have to go back to school. I also need to pay rentals, my workers and besides that, I need to survive.

During school holidays, business should be at its peak at the Copa-Cabana open flea markets and other such places.

School children are going back to school this week while those that had visited from outside Harare are also heading back to their respective places of residence.

All these people, together with the residents of Harare, are the potential customers that the sales persons at the open flea markets usually target.

Famous for housing quite creative marketers and having a range of affordable goods, open flea markets — including Copa-Cabana — have indeed become a hit due to the affordability of the clothing sold there.

Mr Norest Mazhawidza is one of the business persons operating at the Copa-Cabana flea market, specialising in selling clothes.

Apart from being a business person, he is a husband and a father of three, a bread-winner for his family. He also employed two people to market and sell his products.

A fortnight ago, Mr Mazhawidza lost his goods to a fire that was set alight by illegal protestors.

But he is not the only one counting his losses, there are many others who lost their merchandise whose value can run into thousands of dollars.

Last week, The Sunday Mail Extra tracked down some of the victims of the riotous behaviour of the looters.

As Mr Mazhawidza narrated his ordeal, his mind was clearly elsewhere, with the expression on his face betraying his pain.

"I incurred a great loss (sighs). I lost goods that had a value of about $2 000. At home we are struggling to make ends meet and my children have to go back to school. I also need to pay rentals, my workers and besides that, I need to survive. These goods that I have right now, someone gave me a loan so that l can try to get back on my feet," he said.

On a normal day, manoeuvring through the flea market is an odious task, what with the vendors shouting at the top of their voices, marketing their products.

However, last week was different, the rank was practically a shadow of its usual self.

Mr Joshua Chingwaru also lost his merchandise during the riots.

He explained how Friday's events have changed his life.

"During the days of the Harare Agricultural Show, we expect our business to be lucrative but this did not happen this year. On the Friday in question, people came running from the showgrounds, when they would usually stop to buy," said Mr Chingwaru.

"On a good day, I normally sell about 20 to 30 jeans before lunch time but today I only sold two, and I had to really negotiate with the customers for them to buy," he said.

The illegal protests that rocked the capital last week did not just affect the traders but had far-reaching effects.

Mr Chingwaru said he has developed chest problems because of the teargas smoke he inhaled while trying to save his goods from being looted.

Mr Fidelis Chikwena's hopes are on compensation.

"We are hustling for money every day and sometimes we struggle to make ends meet. Everyone is feeling the effects of the economic situation.

"If it is possible to get compensation for the goods we lost it will be great because the fire really affected our income.

"Some of our colleagues are now stuck at home because this was their source of employment," said Mr Chikwena.

Some innocent people sustained injuries as they were stoned by the unruly elements during the chaos.