Council rescinds plans to construct wholesale market at Sekusile

BULAWAYO City Council recently rescinded the plans to construct a wholesale market at a stand in Sekusile, Nkulumane which it had approved partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dutch Church Aid and the Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association to establish at the site.

Latest council minutes state that BVTA recently proposed a change of site from Nkulumane 5 Commercial centre to Nkulumane District Commercial Centre due to various factors.

The department of Town Planning recalled that the Council had approved a Partnership between City of Bulawayo, UNDP, Dutch Church Aid and BVTA in the development of a wholesale market at Nkulumane 5 Commercial Centre (Sekusile).

"Our partners had expressed their interest to fund infrastructural development of a Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market at Nkulumane (Sekusile) in line with the Council's plans to decongest the markets in the CBD. UNDP and DCA had expressed their preparedness to fund the infrastructural development in the market at Sekusile Shopping Centre," the minutes state.

The developed wholesale market was to be handed over to Council once it had been constructed and completed.

Indications are that however, after the partnership had been approved by Council and preparatory work was being done it was noted that the piece of land at Nkulumane 5 Commercial Centre on which it was proposed to build the wholesale market was subject of an agreement of sale between Council and another party.

The council said this commercial centre was also overcrowded and the addition of a wholesale market would have further worsened the situation and made it difficult for the observance of Covid-19 protocols.

The commercial centre was also located away from main roads in the midst of a residential area and was accessed through small local distributor and access roads which would have presented difficulties for large delivery trucks bringing in farm produce to manoeuvre around these roads.

"Offloading space was also a challenge due to the fact the commercial centre was overcrowded. An alternative site for the establishment of the wholesale market had since been identified and this was at Nkulumane District Commercial Centre (Nkulumane DCC). The partners had been engaged and were agreeable to the proposal," read the minutes.

The minutes state that the new site had adequate land to accommodate the wholesale market and ancillary facilities like loading/offloading space and also presents an opportunity for expansion of the wholesale market in future should the need arise.

The partners intended to start development of the wholesale market as soon as possible.

"It was resolved and recommended that the Council resolution of August 4, 2021 which approved Stand REM of 34611 Nkulumane Sekusile for the establishment of a vegetable market be rescinded for reasons stated in the report, that the new site, Stand 16930 Nkulumane Complex, as depicted on Plan TPA9822 be approved. and that construction of the vegetable market be moved to the new site as detailed in the report," read the minutes.

The council also resolved that the project sponsors be handed over the site to build the vegetable market and the Council would provide plans and technical support to facilitate project development while when completed the project would be handed over to Council for management purposes.