OSHAKATI – The spending bill for the new open market currently under construction in Oshakati has reached N$70 million, monies which the Oshakati Town Council says it has already secured.
The new open market is in its third and final phase of construction, with June set as the month to complete the project. The new open market will feature a luxurious 37 metre high observation tower from which individuals can view Oshakati for a minimal fee. The market will also feature a long and short distance bus terminal for commuters to ensure that they embark and disembark in an orderly manner. Presently long distance buses load and off-loads passengers at Okatana Service Station, which is not convenient. The new open market is situated a short distance from the current dilapidated open market, which the town council had said is too close to the main road and poses various health risks. The Public Relations Officer of the Oshakati Town Council Jackson Muma said the purpose of constructing a new open market is to promote entrepreneurship and to allow informal business to be conducted in a conducive environment. Tomas Simon, a bus driver between Oshakati and Windhoek said he is not too concerned about having to move to the new bus terminal and that change is inevitable in any case.
“You don’t know what is likely to happen, maybe the customers will get used to coming to the new terminal or else our customers will be snatched by private cars. Perhaps it will also bring up a system where we no longer have to fight over the passengers baggage.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the town council Werner Iita said the council is prepared for any eventualities insofar as the open market project is concerned. “In the market research conducted by the council many vendors expressed enthusiasm to move to the new open market,” Iita said. The 300 vendors at the existing open market have each been allocated a stall at the new market, however there is still room to accommodate new vendors, according to Muma.
By Nuusita Ashipala