Rain, rain, go away!
Patricia Edwin | Wednesday March 19, 2014 14:44
In the same breath, vendors cried that the rains damaged a lot of their goods.
The saying ‘You can’t have your cake and eat it’ came to life when the much-needed rains graced the whole country in the last two weeks.
For months leading to the recent torrents, rain had been scarce in the country and water was, and still is a problem in some parts.
So, it is true that one man’s curse is another’s blessing.
The bus rank is always vibrant with people moving up and down and rushing to their various destinations.
Vendors in colourful aprons from various mobile phone networks would be sitting under equally colourful umbrellas calling passers-by.
Sounds of hooting by taxis and buses would complete the picture of the noisy and vibrant place.
People who operate from the rank cry that life has become dull because they alternate between sitting at their tables for a short while and rushing to the waiting room or into combis when the torrents fall.
Trinif Robert, 43 who has been selling at the rank for about eight years, says that the rains kept her away from the rank and that she had to run and take cover every time the rains started.
“They really affected business in the rank because people would not stop to buy from us as they had to run to the combis to avoid getting soaked,” she said.
She said she had to stay at home for two days because of the rains and that some of her goods were damaged.
Another vendor who did not want to be named said that her business suffered during the rains.
“When it was raining we did not sell. Customers were not coming because they were running from the rain.
“It damaged a lot of our goods and already we are struggling,” she said.
A combi operator between Francistown and Borolong, Bonolo Lesika said that the rains really did affect business because they did not have passengers.
“People were not coming to the combis because of the rains.
“You can see, there are no shelters in the rank or some kind of roofing so that people can walk without getting wet,” he said
A vendor, Lakidzani Mampori said that she had to sit at home s because she realised that the rains would eventually damage all of her stock.
“Sometimes I was unable to run to the waiting room or to the combis and got soaked with my stock getting wet,” she added.
Combi drivers complained especially of illegal transport operators who would waylay commuters in the mall so that they (the commuters) never make it to the bus rank.
Apparently the combi and taxi drivers have had trouble with people who park their cars at Nswazwi Mall.
These illegal operators, according to the combi and taxi drivers, would then walk to the rank and lure commuters to their cars.
The drivers said when the rains came it became worse because people wanted to get home by all means possible, including hitching a lift from the illegal operators.
One such combi driver, Tineni Balashiki said that the vehicles were also affected because if they made one trip, especially on the dirt roads, their roadworthiness got affected,
“After one trip you incur so many expenses and yet business is not forth coming,” he said.
He said that after the rains the potholes are just so much that their vehicles are not coping.
Though the country needs rains to still fill some dams like Gaborone Dam, vendors and taxi operators say it is worsening their economic situations.