Glen View Area 8 fires: Time for sustainable solutions

📅 Published: August 19, 2025

📰 Source: thestandard

Curated by AllZimNews.com

It is estimated that over 1 500 young people and women are either directly or indirectly employed at the complex, providing the much-needed relief to a population that has found it hard to be employed in the formal job market.

The fire, which has now become an annual occurrence, came at a time when a lot of informal economy workers stationed at Glen View Area 8 Complex, were beginning to find their footing after the ravaging effects of COVID-19 to their businesses.

A snap survey instituted by the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset), revealed that over US$1,5 million worth of property was destroyed by the fire.

What makes the situation ghastly and unacceptable is that two weeks down the line, no one has bothed to give answers as to what really transpired on the day.

This cannot be allowed to continue without anyone being held accountable.

The situation at Glen View Area 8 Complex is a micro-cosm of what is happening at the national level when it comes to the security of jobs and workspaces in the informal economy.

We continue to work under very precarious conditions despite the calls by various stakeholders in the informal economy ecosystem for a government-led acceptance of informal economy workers as workers.

The Glen View Area 8 case clearly demonstrates the lack of enthusiasm and eagerness by government and all its agencies to embrace informal economy workers at all levels of governance, economic planning, and empowerment.

As has already been stated, it is not the first time that such a calamity has befallen informal workers in Glen View Area 8 and the million-dollar questions remain: What has been done by the authorities to prevent this from happening again?

Why are the responsible local authorities and government departments failing to prioritise this important issue?

Or is it that someone in the higher offices is benefiting from the chaos and precarious conditions of informal economy workers at Glen View Area 8 Complex.

As players in the informal economy, we need genuine and sustainable answers to these questions.