Vendors operating at the Havana four-way stop in the Moses //Garoeb constituency have taken issue with the City of Windhoek after they were relocated to pave way for development. 

The aggrieved vendors and City Police officers clashed last week following orders to relocate to a different site within the area in order to pave way for the construction of the Ongos Valley road. 

However, the vendors claimed there was favouritism on the part of the city in drawing up a list of traders to operate from the new demarcated area. 

They argued the new site was too small, untidy and congested. 

“The city did not arrange properly and now they are putting us at a congested place where we are not able to sell our products. This is not fair and we will not move,” some of the vendors declared yesterday. 

Approached for comment, city spokesperson Harold Akwenye urged the vendors to remain calm, saying the municipality is looking into the matter of relocating them. 

“I am convinced there is a misunderstanding and this was not supposed to happen. During construction of the road, vendors that were registered by the city were to be accommodated in a temporary trading space near the existing trading space, to allow them proximity to their clientele,” he said. 

“Since the trading space cannot be used as a place of residence, the households will reside at the new relocation site and trade at the designated trading space until the market is built. Negotiations with Ongos Valley were done so that there is no disruption to the trading activities and that households are relocated to an area with improved living conditions.”

Akwenye also dismissed suggestions the list of vendors was tampered with.  

He said the claim by vendors is not true, as the households located within Monte Christo Road (now Peter Nanyemba Road) were approved for relocation to a new township at Farm 1030. 

The arrangement includes households residing at the Havana four-way stop.  

“To ensure continuity of business activities, a further arrangement was made that Ongos Valley construct a formal market where the traders will be trading from. The environmental clearance certificate for the market was obtained and now we are busy with the rezoning process. A further arrangement is made that, a temporary trading space be constructed for the vendors where they will continue trading while construction is underway,” he said.  

He said he was made aware that there is a group of people instigating households from not participating fully in the programme, which he said created confusion among vendors. 

- ljason@nepc.com.na