The Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Organisation (BVTO) has expressed its condolences following the death of two informal traders and the injury of about a dozen others on Wednesday evening.
The accident occurred when a speeding kombi driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into vendors at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street in Bulawayo.
In a statement, BVTO said the incident highlights the extreme risks faced daily by informal workers, who earn a living in unsafe, crowded, and unplanned public spaces. Reads the statement:
“BVTO conveys its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and loved ones during this painful time. We also wish those who sustained injuries a speedy and full recovery.
“This heartbreaking incident once again exposes the extreme vulnerability faced daily by informal economy workers who earn their livelihoods in unsafe, unplanned, and congested public spaces.
“While we acknowledge that road traffic accidents are sometimes inevitable due to multiple contributing factors, the continued absence of safe, decent, and properly designated trading spaces significantly increases the risk to lives and livelihoods.
“In this regard, BVTO urgently calls for completion of market hubs such as the long-awaited Egodini Mall, city-wide decongestion dialogue and decisive action, involving the City of Bulawayo, central government, transport authorities, traders’ representatives, and other relevant stakeholders.
“Proactive planning, enforcement that is humane and consultative, and the provision of alternative trading spaces can meaningfully reduce the likelihood and severity of such tragic incidents.”
BVTO also called on the government, private sector, civil society, and the public to unite in support of the affected families.
The organisation stressed that those who lost their lives, as well as those injured, were breadwinners, working hard to provide for their households when the tragedy occurred. It said:
“As BVTO, we pledge our full commitment to work with all partners willing to offer any form of support—material, financial, psychosocial, or otherwise—to the affected families.
“We also reaffirm our readiness to engage constructively with authorities and stakeholders in finding lasting, humane, and sustainable solutions that safeguard both livelihoods and human life.
“Let this tragedy be a turning point—one that compels us to move beyond condolences to concrete action.”
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