Bulawayo Mayor Senator David Coltart says the construction of Phase 1B of Egodini Bus Terminus could be completed within four months of approving its design.
Senator Coltart was addressing members of the public at a community indaba hosted by Project Vote 263 in the city centre on Thursday, regarding the state of service delivery in Bulawayo.
Phase 1A was opened in February 2023, after the terminus had been closed for almost eight years for rehabilitation.
Senator Coltart said the contractors are working with the council on proposed amendments, and they (the contractors) agreed that the construction work could be completed within four months from the time of approval.
He said that when complete, Egodini will serve as a trading area for many informal traders, and with proper conditions, the informal traders can grow their businesses and become entrepreneurs.
“Egodini is the start of change from having haphazard marketplaces in our city,” he said. “Our challenge as a city is to provide markets that will enable people in the informal sector to transition into entrepreneurs. We are in the process of resuscitating Egodini.”
“As I speak, the amended plans for Phase 1B are being submitted to the council, and the contractor has agreed that they can complete Phase 1B within four months of the plans being approved. This phase is going to be a dramatic improvement for the informal sector.”
Senator Coltart said various basic concepts have been set by the council for all informal trading areas to ensure that informal traders can operate in conducive environments.
“We don’t want to just end with Egodini; we want to have more markets in the residential areas such as Nkulumane, Magwegwe, Entumbane, among other areas, that will have standard basic concepts. These include having roof covers in all market areas. Most of the informal traders are affected by harsh weather conditions, so having roofs will protect them from such. So far, the only market we had with a roof was Makokoba,” Senator Coltart said.
“We also need clean, concrete, and demarcated bays at these marketplaces. Reliable sources of power, preferably solar, are a must, along with access to clean water and toilets. What would be a game-changer too would be access to the internet; we want to have it installed in these marketplaces.”
