Zimbabwe market stall owner Aaron Makaya saw a new business opportunity when President Emmerson Mnangagwa made face masks mandatory in public places to prevent the spread of coronavirus.<\/p>\n
The 21-year old had been stuck at home in the capital Harare and living off meagre savings since the start of a nationwide lockdown at the end of March.<\/p>\n
Confinement measures were extended by two weeks on May 1 \u2013 another month without income for informal workers like Makaya.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, factory-made face masks turned out to be unaffordable for most in a country crippled by poverty and hyperinflation.<\/p>\n
Makaya and other informal workers jumped on the opportunity to make money by sewing and selling cheaper cloth masks at intersections.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started selling these masks on Monday when we noticed that people intending to board buses were being turned away,\u201d said Makaya, standing on the side of the road with a stock of brightly coloured masks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are selling for 15 bond (around $0.6). People are buying because they are afraid of being arrested in town.\u201d<\/p>\n
Factory-made masks cost between $1 and $2 in Zimbabwe. But those caught outside without a face covering are fined and risk a beating by security forces.<\/p>\n
Sharing face masks<\/p>\n
Some people have been sharing face masks as a result.<\/p>\n
Others keep masks dangling below their chin and pull them over their mouth and nose at the sight of police officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems most people are wearing the masks for the wrong reason,\u201d said Harare resident Wright Chirombe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are doing it more out of fear of arrest than for their own safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a makeshift factory in the Harare suburb of Mbare, the air is filled with the whirring sound of sewing machines as five tailors worked around the clock to meet growing demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe only started sewing these now because of the coronavirus,\u201d said tailor James Munhenzva. \u201cI can sew up to 200 masks per day but there is a shortage of material.\u201d<\/p>\n
Munhenzva said most of his clients were farmers coming to the city to sell their crops, as well as informal street vendors.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring this time of the coronavirus, selling these masks is helping me make a considerable income,\u201d said Makaya, who will not be able to reopen his stall until the lockdown is lifted.<\/p>\n
So far Mnangagwa has only allowed large corporations to open under strict conditions, while large gatherings including weddings and churches remain banned.<\/p>\n
Zimbabwe has reported just 34 cases of coronavirus to date, including four deaths.<\/p>\n
A gradual easing of restrictions is expected from May 18.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Zimbabwe market stall owner Aaron Makaya saw a new business opportunity when President Emmerson Mnangagwa made face masks mandatory in public places to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The 21-year old had been stuck at home in the capital Harare and living off meagre savings since the start of a nationwide lockdown at the end […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":20759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[34,1419],"class_list":{"0":"post-22960","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-emmerson-mnangagwa","10":"tag-vendors-in-zimbabwe"},"yoast_head":"\n