On the 21st of June 2019 Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations “ZCIEA” sets up a new territory in Zhombe. Zhombe is a rural communal area between Gokwe and Kwekwe District, Midlands province in Zimbabwe. The program was conducted by ZCIEA 2nd Vice National President Stella Chivandikwa, Treasurer General Givas Maririmba with the assistance of the information officer Fungai Munetsi.
The informal economy traders in Zhombe Territory consists of vendors selling agricultural produce, second hand and new clothes, and a few traders selling imported products like cooking oil, detergents etc. The informal economy has become highly invaded by multi skilled players who are even shifting their carrier skills to anyhow trading as a way to at least earn a living. Survival strategy based work is the torch for the hopeless and down trodden men and women.
A total of 57 informal traders (members) voted for Zhombe Territorial leadership which is made up of territorial main committee, youth committee, women’s committee and People with Disability (PWD) committee. The main committee is comprised of Territorial President, Vice President, Secretary Vice Secretary, Treasurer, Organizer, Vice Organizer, and three committee members. The Youth committee consist of Youth Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Vice Secretary, Organiser, Vice Organiser, Treasurer, and three committee members.
A total of 41 informal economy traders joined the organization, women and youth were the majority. Zhombe territory will be one of the vibrant territory in the organization because of youth dominance in the territory.
The Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations
ZCIEA is a National Membership driven Organization representing Informal Traders Associations of Zimbabwe. It is made up of the self employed and informal employees
engaged in small unregistered or un-incorporated enterprises and undeclared workers.
THE VISION
Decent standards of living for all Zimbabweans in a stable economy.
THE MISSION
Alleviating poverty through transforming informal economy activities into mainstream activities.
ZCIEA SLOGAN
“ The Chamber That Delivers”
Objectives
To organize, establish, promote and protect the interest of the informal economy traders in Zimbabwe.
To foster for democratization of the environment through rights awareness, lobby and advocacy programmes targeting the rank and file of the Informal Economy Workers.
To capacitate ZCIEA structures in a manner that enables them to engage authorities at all levels and demand accountability whilst operating proficiently.
To influence policy formations which will bring about social and economic change whilst providing for the transformation of the Informal Economy activities in Zimbabwe and beyond.
Our History
The organization was founded in 2002 by a group of 22 Informal Traders Associations who desired to have an Apex body for this massive 84% of the Zimbabwean Economy which paradoxically had a weak voice, vulnerable to harassments, political abuse , no income security and lack of social protection.
This was a direct response to the collapse of formal setups as a result of Economic Structural Adjustment programme (ESAP) which was introduces by the Zimbabwean government in the 1990s. The company closures, retrenchments and the inability of formal structures to absorb the job seekers gave rise to massive expansion of the informal economy.
On seeing the continued marginalization of this sector, formation of this Apex body was a result of a tripartite decision by ZCTU (Labour) EMCOZ (Business) and Ministry of Labour (Government).
The objective was to harness these precarious operations and seek means and strategies that will facilitate mainstreaming of the Informal Economy with a view to empowering it socially and economically.
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