HARARE
–
At
least
100
traders
were
left
counting
losses
after
a
fire
broke
out
at
Glenview
Area
8
home
industry
destroying
property
worth
hundreds
of
thousands
of
dollars
Sunday
morning.
City
of
Harare
SMEs
Committee
chairperson
Denford
Ngadziore
said
the
fire
was
caused
by
security
guards
who
were
warming
themselves.
“The
affected
traders
include
those
manufacturing
wardrobes,
kitchen
units,
sofas,
and
other
carpentry
products.
“The
estimated
loss
is
approximately
US$100,000.
“Preliminary
investigations
suggest
the
fire
was
unintentionally
started
by
security
guards
on
duty,
who
were
warming
themselves
by
a
fire
that
later
spread
around
5:00
AM,”
he
said
in
a
statement.
According
to
Ngadziore
the
City
of
Harare
Fire
Brigade
swiftlt
reacted
and
helped
to
contain
the
fire
before
it
caused
greater
destruction.
Currently,
over
4,000
traders
operate
from
the
Glenview
Area
8
complex.
The
complex
frequently
encountered
fire
breakouts
which
have
been
attributed
to
human
error.
The
last
inferno
was
in
2023.
Ngadziore
said
recently,
the
City
of
Harare
SMEs
Committee
conducted
a
site
visit
and
engaged
the
traders’
representative
committee
to
assess
the
situation
and
discuss
a
sustainable
way
forward.
He
said
it
was
agreed
that
traders
should
resume
formal
monthly
payments
to
Council
a
process
that
has
been
suspended
for
the
past
3
to
4
years.
‘Unfortunately,
during
this
time,
funds
have
been
misappropriated
by
private
individuals,
undermining
council
operations
and
service
delivery.
“As
the
SMEs
Committee,
we
will
take
keen
interest
in
the
ongoing
investigations.
“It
is
our
strong
position
that
those
on
duty
must
be
held
accountable
and
prosecuted
for
their
negligence,
which
resulted
in
this
costly
disaster,”
he
said.
He
said
looking
ahead,
the
only
lasting
solution
is
a
comprehensive
redevelopment
of
the
Glenview
SMEs
Complex.
Ngadziore
said
the
committee
has
resolved
to
implement
this
through
a
Public-Private
Partnership
(PPP),
guided
by
urban
planning
and
fire
safety
regulations,
to
replan
and
modernize
the
facility.
“On
a
brighter
note,
construction
of
a
modern
People’s
Market
nearby
is
expected
to
commence
soon.
“This
initiative
is
aligned
with
the
City’s
approved
architectural
designs
and
will
feature
over
30
modern
kiosks—creating
a
safer,
cleaner,
and
more
dignified
environment
for
traders.’