The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Monday, September 7, 1992 — A Bulawayo exhibitor at the Organisation of African Unity’s sixth All Africa Trade Fair was evicted from his stand yesterday because of “unacceptable behaviour”, the general manager of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, Mr Graham Rowe, said.

The company, African Shumba incorporated, was told to vacate the Trade Fair showgrounds by 9AM yesterday morning after the management had received a number of complaints from other exhibitors.

The exhibitor was said to have been playing his cassette player too loudly thus disturbing his neighbours.

“We paid several visits to the stand after receiving some complaints about them since Wednesday,” Mr Rowe said.

“They however, failed to take heed of our advice to reduce their volume.”

Mr Rowe said he did not have any choice but to evict them from the stand.

According to some sources at the showgrounds, the problem started when a group of Rastas manning the stand were approached by some exhibitors in the hall asking them to reduce the volume of their cassette player.

The group, however, refused to comply. Harsh words were exchanged, leading to some of the exhibitors reporting the matter to the Trade Fair management.

Despite a visit by the management the Rastas continued playing music at full blast.

“Good riddance to the noise-makers,” said one of the exhibitors in the exhibition hall, after the eviction.