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By Farai Shawn Matiashe
MUTARE, Zimbabwe, April 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Zimbabwe has reopened fresh produce markets after pressure from farmers who struggled to sell their harvest under restrictions aimed at stemming spread of the novel coronavirus, Zimbabwean officials said.
Markets including prominent Mbare Musika in Harare and Sakubva Musika in Mutare were closed last week when President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration put the country on a 21-day lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Zimbabwe has so far recorded just over 10 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and three deaths. Its larger neighbour South Africa has seen more than 1,800 confirmed cases and more than 15 deaths.
To deal with the threat, Zimbabwe has moved to halt many forms of transport and close facilities except for those deemed essential, including supermarkets and state-owned public transport.
Under the new restrictions, law enforcement agents at first prevented farmers from selling their produce either at markets or on city streets. Those attempting sales in some case saw their goods confiscated.
At Sakubva Musika market last week, police and Mutare city health officials confiscated tonnes of vegetables and fruit from more than 300 famers who had converged in the market area.
“The lockdown has set me back. My tomatoes are perishable, so I lost many at the farm due to that restriction of movement,” said Cuthbert Chuma, a small-scale farmer from a village in Macheke District, about 110 km from the capital Harare.
