Vendors cry foul at Botswana Games

UP IN ARMS: Vendors at Francistown Sports Complex. PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG
UP IN ARMS: Vendors at Francistown Sports Complex. PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

FRANCISTOWN: Street vendors cried foul over loss of business at last week’s just-ended Botswana Games.

In an interview with Monitor Business last Friday, the frustrated street vendors said they were left in the lurch at their designated stalls after some vendors masquerading as spectators snuck their wares into the stadium to sell to potential customers.

It was reported that some street vendors ended up closing down their stalls after operating for a few days due to loss of business. The street vendors had paid money ranging between P100 to P250 in order to get permits to sell their goods inside the stadium.

Editor's Comment
Micro-procurement maze demands urgent reform

Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...

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