Story by Theophilus Chuma in Kazan, Russia
The Zimbabwean technical team comprising architects and engineers engaged their counterparts in Kazan, Russia, this Friday to work on a model that will inform the re-designing of Mbare Musika Traders market.
The government -led technical team of experts is visiting Kazan to develop a modern trader’s facility that meets international standards.
The Kazan Agro-Industrial Park is a model being adopted by many countries to offer safe and organised trading spaces for small-scale entrepreneurs within the agricultural value chain.
Zimbabwe is looking at adopting this concept to inform the re-designing of Mbare Musika Traders market as part of the response and recovery plan being implemented by government after the inferno that razed down the traders market last year.
Engineer Lawrence Mberikwazvo, one of technical experts currently in Kazan, tells us about their experience at the Agro- Industrial Park.
“We are here as part of the government initiative to learn and adopt the concept of the Kazan Agro-Industrial Park which will be used as a benchmark for the initiative to revamp Mbare Musika Traders market. We are coming in as private players to work on the project, which will transform the traders market into a world class facility. The design follows that there will be three floors as well as cold storage facilities within the complex. It will also have modern facilities that will provide safe and viable spaces for the traders,:” he said.
The design, while responsive to local needs, will follow the standards of the Kazan Agro-Industrial Park.
“We have taken cognisance of our local needs, and we will be guided by the requirements of our stakeholders,” noted Engineer Takura Mukura, a member of the technical team.
Implementation of this project will build from the temporary structure that has already been set up for traders at Mbare Musika.
Government reckons the Kazan Agro-Industrial Park model is a launch-pad for Zimbabwe to implement standardised trading spaces for small to medium scale enterprises that will be replicated across the country.
