ONDANGWA – The Ondangwa Town Council has issued a deadline for street vendors, long distance bus operators and taxi drivers to vacate places around the town that are not designated for such activities.
Starting today, August 21, police will arrest anybody that defies the municipal order to move away. Council spokesman Lukas Salomo says the order is meant to enforce a High Court order requiring all hawkers and public transport operators in Ondangwa to vacate the undesignated markets, as well as loading and offloading sites around the town from which they operate illegally. Three months ago, the High Court ordered hawkers and public transport operators to move to open markets and other selected areas in town within five days after the order was issued, but the order has been ignored by many.
“Should we find anyone operating at the undesignated places by [today], the town council, the deputy sheriff of the court and the police will not be held accountable [for confiscated, lost or broken items]. We have already given enough time and some of them [street vendors and bus operators] are resisting,” Salomo cautioned.
The court order issued on May 06, 2013 requires respondents (street operators) to remove their structures (if any) and goods within five days of the order, and if they fail, the deputy sheriff for the district of Ondangwa and the police are authorised to demolish and remove any illegal business structure or goods or minibuses from the said sites.
Salomo pointed out that the restricted places include Pupkewitz Shell Service Station, the Toivo ya Toivo premises, Fysal Fresh Produce, Spotman, Oshinanena Supermarket, Kanepolo Supermarket, Jet Stores, Huhu City, Embale Shebeen, Caltex Filling Station, OK Supermarket, Magic Discount and Pharmacy Cellphone. Salomo further warned business people not to allow street vendors to operate from their business premises, maintaining that such businesses have licences and their business activities are confined to the stipulations in their licences.
The designated areas include open markets and bus terminals next to Town Square and at ABC, and the open market between Facebook Bar and Spotman at Omwandi and a tempory place at the Ministry of Home Affairs premises. “We want to enforce law and order and hygiene, we don’t want last December’s situation to repeat itself. There were so many criminal activities, since cars were broken into and got bumped and pickpocketing was rife,” emphasised Salomo.
By Helvy Shaanika