KHORIXAS – Street vendors that sell fruit and vegetables at Outjo and Khorixas said that business has returned to normal and customers are being received in numbers as it was before the Covid-19 outbreak.

In interviews with Nampa, the vendors said that after it was announced that nationwide movement restrictions have been eased from stage three to stage four to halt the spread of the virus, their business operations have returned to normal.

One of the vendors, Selma Hausiku, 55, who sells vegetables at the Outjo open market said that it is business as usual and she has been generating income as she did before the Covid-19 outbreak.
“I am happy that I can now sell my vegetables like I used to before. Selling vegetables is my only source of income. I buy my products in Tsumeb and in the northern parts of Namibia in bulk. Business has been good. I just wish we do not go into another lockdown. It will affect my livelihood negatively again,” she said. Another street vendor based in Outjo, Michael Narib, 39, selling a variety of fruits and vegetables, said he is grateful that business has returned to normal.

“I really had a difficult time selling my stock during the lockdown. Most of my stock got rotten and I had to throw it away. I am always making sure that my customers practise the social distancing measure put in place and have hand sanitiser at my stall for them,” he said.

Maria Hamutenya, 42, from Khorixas said: “Business is good; everything is back to normal for us here. We are adhering to rules and regulations that have been put in place to curb the coronavirus spread. I usually buy my stock in the northern part of Namibia.”

Public relations officer at the Khorixas Town Council, Eben Xoagub, noted to Nampa: “We educated the street vendors when restrictions were lifted and awarded them with fitness certificates. We also demarcated areas for them to maintain social distancing. We observed that they are adhering to the rules and regulations put in place. We are satisfied with the way they take the Covid-19 situation seriously.” – Nampa