Capacitate us with shelter vending bays to enable our livelihoods; the call came from vendors in Masenyane Lupane some 187km outside Bulawayo. They started operating by the roadside in 1994 in an open space in which they have been constantly affected by bad weather patterns which have impacted negatively on their sales. - Mr. Gama one the vendors there says he feeds his family from selling his wares by the roadside and sends his four children to school with the money he makes there, however the challenges have been largely on sheltering their goods from adverse weather conditions as it most often it has rotted some of their produce. Establishment of legal vending bays will enable them sec…

Peace is not only the absence of war but the presence of justice, an arts festival was held in Pumula community hall that saw various art genres being showcased by different artistes. These were held as a means of promoting peace and unity. - The festival saw an attendance of over a hundred participants who converged under the theme youths building lasting peace in Zimbabwe .The organizers were the National Youth Development Trust an organisation whose lifetime achievement is to empower youth such that they take full control of their communities and that of their country. Speaking at the event the Programs Manager Miss Thandolwenkosi Sibindi said arts festivals are a means the organisatio…

Commuters and taxi drivers in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe are urging the City Council to consider the legalization of in-city loading and off-loading bays to safeguard traffic safety and prevent further accidents at these places. - “We are playing cat and mouse with the police when it comes to loading and off-loading passengers inside the city”, said one commuter omnibus operator. Some passengers too think it would be a better idea to have permanent structures inside the city. Their point is that loading within the central business district is not easy when it’s late. Legalising these points will also create employment for the touts that are plying those routes.

Open-market 2nd-hand cloths vendors have appealed to the City Council to find an covered market to shelter their now popular business that has seen shoppers shying away from most clothing shops. - Traders and customers have expressed concern as bad weather affects their business. ‘Their products are very cheap and unique hence I will always come here’, said one white lady . The open-market is open only in the week ends and are flexible in their opening times, which enables customers to shop till late.

As January disease sets in parents are caught in-between a rock and a stone in a bid to send their kids back to school after the merry making festivities that gobbled much of their savings. - Parents jostle to prepare for opening of schools shops and vendors have cashed in the craze. It back to school everywhere as pupils and parents rush in to get stationery, uniforms and other products in preparation for the opening of schools. We want provide customers with cheaper products and flexible times of service as we on the pavements up till late said Tamuka a vendor. While shops selling school products expressed joy as sales increased such that they also took the opportunity to extend closing…

Zimbabweans living and working in South Africa are stranded. Most of the travellers had come for the festive season to their families and cannot return to South Africa for lack of proper travel documents and high transit costs. - ‘We now have to sell some of our appliances in order to top up our travelling fees as what we had budgeted for is now too little’, said Mkhayiphi Ndlovu, a stranded Zimbabwean. The Zimbabwean government is in the process of negotiating with South Africa about the regularization of documentation for Zimbabweans in South Africa, a move which will see most of them working and living legally in South Africa.

Hundreds of people have embraced this year's festivities with massive Christmas shopping, that has seen long winding queues at supermarkets ,food outlets and heavy traffic congestion. This comes in the wake of most workers being given their bonuses for the year. - These queues are very long but I hope I will be able to finish buying what I want before most shops close said Mr. Mabhena who was queuing at a bank. For most people Christmas is a time they unite with their families in giving receiving and sharing. While also some take it buy new clothes and other household appliance upon getting their bonuses. Most furniture shops have decided to offer low interest rates and even 0% depos…

More than 50 women drawn from Bulawayo, Matabeleland and the surrounding gathered in a roundtable discuss to commemorate 16 days of Activism against women and child abuse. - This sought annihilate the gender imbalances and fight violence, abuse and build leadership traits amongst them, said Thandolwenkosi Sibindi the Programs Manager of the National Youth Development Trust. Participants at the roundtable workshop were drawn from various political, civic and other women's organisations in a bid to demystify the gender imbalances that exist in our societies and how women can be effectively empowered in our patriarchal dominated society. Issues that came up had to do with women'…

Elections begets violence and sports is a means of kicking violence out of our community, these sentiments were echoed by hundreds of youths who converged for a sports for peace festival in Nkayi rural Zimbabwe. The theme was youths building lasting peace in Zimbabwe. - ‘Sports is an integral part for community building as it unites people from different tribes and cultures in their quest for positive change towards community development’, said the councilor addressing youths at the event. He urged young people to be resilient in the quest for peace embrace it at all times as it begins an individual, he further shunned the continuous use of youths as political condoms by poli…