AS choruses of economic stagnation grow countrywide, business appears to be booming in the once-sleepy farming and mining town of Zvishavane.
Musa Dube Own Correspondent
One could be forgiven for mistaking the streets of Zvishavane town to those of Harare like the busy Samora Machel Street which is characterised by traffic jams, the shoving and pushing of people as they go on their way to eke out a living.
But in Zvishavane pedestrians now find it extremely difficult to cross the two-lane streets without fear of being knocked down by cars passing by.
The small town is flooded with cars of different shapes, makes and sizes, a tell-tale sign that business is brisk and booming in the Midlands town.
While many cities and towns in the country are crying over the liquidity crunch, the story is a bit different in Zvishavane.
Recently, a correspondent for our sister paper The Standard was in the mineral rich town where signs of boom were evident for all to see.
The presence of gold miners and the platinum mining company, Mimosa, has resulted in the town being one of the fastest growing in the country despite talk of an economic tailspin.
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Deep at the centre of the town are state-of-the-art restaurants and fully furnished pubs that can compete with any in the country and even beyond.
Also lining up the overcrowded streets are the country’s major banks and retail shops. Not to be outdone are food courts that are ever packed with customers.
A lot of flea markets are sprouting everywhere, fully stocked with mostly imported household products and clothes from China, South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.
Business people spoken to attributed the brisk business being recorded in the town to the influx of gold panners.
The cash-spending panners come from as far as Beitbridge, Mberengwa, Gwanda and Bulawayo. Gold is said to be in abundance in the areas surrounding the town with panners raking in as much as $2 000 in a week while lucky ones occasionally stumble on gold-bearing reefs.
Giant Mimosa mining company employs over a 1 000 workers and is giving the town lots of business.
The night life in Zvishavane is a hive of activity as most bars and beerhalls close late especially during the weekend as the operators cash in on the joy-hungry gold panners.
Many houses in Zvishavane are being turned into lodges while others are being converted into brothels to accommodate those who are into the thriving commercial sex activities.
