Tlhomelang told a full council meeting on Monday that small businesses, most of which are run from makeshift structures made of plastic and card boxes, were smothering the supermakets and creating an ugly image of the village. He said that despite the fact it had the the Trans Kalahari highway running through it, Kanye was unable to attract tourists because they ran away from its filthy streets.But many of the squatters have said that shortage of proper vending space was the reason for their squatting. Tlhomelang though disputed this and said that there was a market place for them, which remains unused.
He said that the filth created by venders also posed a health hazard and that it is against Vision 2016's pillar of a healthy nation saying the problem needed to be addressed urgently. On other issues, Tlhomelang said he was happy that the department of animal health, which threatened to close down all butcheries in Kanye, had given them a "lifeline" after his intervention. He noted that the department was worried that since there was no abattoir in the village, consumers' health was at risk as there was no place for the officials to inspect the meat before it went for sale.
