Aifheli Mudau
BULAWAYO – OVER 200 small and medium entrepreneurs are struggling to come to terms with a fire incident that gutted their goods and machinery at Save The Nation Industrial Site in Bulawayo Monday night.
The inferno, which occurred under unclear circumstances, has left entrepreneurs without income and livelihoods, raising urgent calls for intervention and support from both the government and stakeholders.
Entrepreneurs who spoke to the ZBC News described the devastation as a major setback that wiped out years of investment.
“It took us more than 10 years to build up our workspaces and purchase machinery. Now we have lost everything,” one visibly distressed entrepreneur said.
“We are pleading for assistance from the government and all willing partners. This is our only source of income,” another affected operator said.
Bulawayo Chamber of SMEs Programme Coordinator, Mr Nketha Dlamini confirmed the incident, highlighting that they are still assessing the cost of the damage before they seek assistance from stakeholders.
“We are very sorry about what happened to our fellow SMEs, what I can say is that we are yet to assess the damage before engaging other stakeholders to see how best they can assist these businesses.”
The SMEs sector remains a vital pillar of Zimbabwe’s economy, accounting for over 50 percent of employment and playing a significant role in industrialisation and innovation.
