BVTA celebrate Africa Day

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) has joined the country and the rest of Africa in commemorating Africa Day under the theme: Silencing The Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development and Intensifying the Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic".

In a statement BVTA said conversely Africa Day is this year celebrated on a different note whereby the world has been hit hard by the novel corona virus and Zimbabwe and most countries are under lockdown in trying to curb the spread of the virus.

"According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) the informal economy is the largest employer and its percentage of gross domestic product in Sub-Saharan Africa is 41%. It also represents about 72% of total employment in Africa," said BVTA.

"However, the informal economy largely remains marginalized in most African countries. It has a weak voice and is rarely listened to by policymakers in government or in international organizations. More important is what the formal economy can learn from the informal economy as a model for economic development."

BVTA said it records with concern the loss of livelihoods for many vendors and informal traders in Africa due to COVID-19.

"We call upon the government to create enabling working conditions that allow informal economy workers to work in, amidst of COVID-19 to ensure that citizens are able to survive under these difficult conditions. We are deeply disturbed by continued marginalization of vendors and informal traders, who are equally affected by the lockdown in Zimbabwe and have not been declared critical services as our economy is predicated on the informal sector with over 70% in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," BVTA said..

"Protect yourself and your families against COVID-19 through practising hygienic measures which include washing or sanitising hands, wearing homemade or surgical masks, practicing social distancing, maintaining physical distance and minimising unnecessary travelling."