KwaMereki to reopen this weekend

Popular open air drinking and braai spot KwaMereki will reopen this weekend after it was closed last week due to fears of disease outbreaks. If you missed the story read it here: Kwamereki closed by Police. There has been a typhoid outbreak in some parts of Harare in the last few weeks which city authorities are still battling to contain. Over 1 000 people have been treated of the disease. Shop and butchery operators at Mereki Shopping Centre helped food vendors to build toilets and food stalls.

The shops and butcheries were losing business. A representative of the food vendors, Ms Emily Mereki popularly known as "Mai Gringo", said the food co-operative had 30 members employing more than 100 people. More than 100 others are indirectly employed by the vendors as drink couriers, vehicle cleaners and airtime vendors. Ms Mereki said despite the closure, their workers still demanded salaries to pay rentals, utility bills, food and meet other daily costs. The co-operative pays up to US$280 to the city council in rentals every month for the piece of land that is reserved for a secondary school.

"We were told that this was a temporary business place," said Ms Mereki. "We were told the city would move us to a new place once funds to construct a secondary school on this site were secured." Ms Mereki said despite the knowledge that they were operating temporarily on a school site, the vendors were going ahead to build proper toilets with the help of businesses at the shopping centre. She appealed to beverage companies to assist in the construction of modern facilities at the food spot.

"We push large volumes of their products. As such we feel they should come on board," said Ms Mereki. There are now water taps and sinks at the spot and individual cubicles are being built. City spokesman Mr Leslie Gwindi yesterday confirmed the place will be reopened on Saturday. "We are working hard to ensure that the food spot re-opens this Saturday," he said. Workmen were yesterday busy at the shopping centre. (Herald)

Kwamereki closed by Police