War Between FCC, Vendors Continues
Pini Bothoko | Monday January 18, 2016 14:32
Last week the vendors stormed this publication’s offices saying that the council has told them to dismantle their structures of trade, otherwise it will destroy them.
The vendors told Business Monitor that they see the move by FCC as another strategy to permanently move them from their places of trade while in the process subjecting them to a life of poverty. In 2013, FCC informed all vendors not to build permanent structures at the places they trade, as it was illegal to do so.
The council also informed the vendors that it was going to pave open spaces around the Central Business District (CBD) and sub-divide the spaces in order to accommodate many of the vendors. The council also said the move was another way of improving the city’s aesthetic. Previously, some vendors put tables that occupied more space leaving others with little or no space to sell their wares.
FCC has long warned the vendors that it will destroy their structures if they fail to adhere to the council’s order.
The vendors were advised to erect temporary structures that they could remove at the end of the day.
Most of the vendors that are affected by the council’s order sell sweet potatoes, groundnuts, and other farm produce.
The vendors decried that they cannot carry their goods home everyday because it is costly and cumbersome to do so since they buy goods in bulk and store them in their shacks.
The vendors said a contractor engaged by FCC to do paving where they trade informed them that it would destroy their shacks if they fail to remove their structures.
“The current shacks where we are operating our businesses from are useful to us because we store our goods there everyday at the end of business.
“I order my stock from Zambia in 50kg bags and since I am selling in bulk I need to operate in a tuckshop where I can safely store my goods,” said 55-year-old, Moggie Chaloba.
Another vendor, Hannah Macala, 52, who has been operating since 1994 said that they are not against the developments, but they are only pleading with council to construct tuckshops for them where they can store their goods.
“I am going to make a loss since I will be using most of my profit to take my products to and from home to where I trade everyday,” said Macala.
Other vendors, Sarah Ntisang and Mapoka Majeremane, also feared making huge losses due to lack of storage space near their selling points.
The City Clerk, Leboile Israel and FCC’ Senior Public Relations Officer, Joseph Wasubera were not available for comment as they were said to be attending a workshop.
In a previous interview with this publication, Israel said that the CBD will be paved and warned vendors not to erect permanent structures, as it is against the regulations governing the way they operate.
Israel said that the vendors leave the bus and taxi rank dirty at the end of the day, and as such, it was imperative for the council to enforce regulations that will make the city clean in order to attract foreign investors.