Long-distance buses dessert Entumbane rank

Vendors at the Entumbane bus terminus in Bulawayo are experiencing a significant decline in business as many long-distance buses have shifted to other loading points.

Previously bustling with passengers traveling to rural areas like Nkayi, Lupane, Binga, Tsholotsho, and Victoria Falls, the terminus now sees far fewer buses. Transport operators have moved to ranks near Amakhosi Theatre, Emakhandeni (Magetsini intersection), and Makokoba, causing a downturn in foot traffic and sales for the vendors.

A long-time vendor, Moyo, noted the dramatic drop in business since the departure of Victoria Falls-bound buses, making it hard to pay council rates while turning a profit. She urged the city council to mandate these buses to return to Entumbane and allow Tsholotsho-bound kombis to use the terminus again. Another vendor corroborated the low bus traffic, mentioning that only buses on the Bulawayo-Binga route consistently use the terminus.
Ayanda Sikhosana highlighted the poor infrastructure at the terminus, expressing frustration over the lack of maintenance and inadequate shelters, which have remained unimproved despite regular tax payments. The windy winter conditions often result in stock being blown away, and the area’s cleanliness is neglected, forcing vendors to dispose of litter on the pavements. Sikhosana called for the city council to provide well-built sheds similar to those at the Egodini taxi rank and to collect garbage more frequently.

The Entumbane Complex and bus terminus, established in 2002 by the Bulawayo City Council to serve as a transport hub for Matabeleland North province, is now struggling due to these operational shifts by bus companies.