Since the proclamation of the town, Okahao in the Omusati region has witnessed positive development of informal trading activities.

According to Okahao mayor Cornelia Iiyambula, this triggered the council, in consultation with key stakeholders, to construct an open market and the technical business centre to provide a conducive trading environment for local SMEs to thrive.

She said this during a consultation meeting with street vendors last week at Okahao.

“In support of this initiative, the council formulated the informal trading regulation, gazetted on 15 October 2013 to regulate this sector,” she said.

She added this regulation prohibits the selling of goods and services at undesignated areas without authorisation from the council.

“We need to admit that we have indeed a challenge of managing street vending activities in our town. This is compounded by the financial limitations to build decent trading facilities to accommodate the emerging local SMEs and lack of cooperation from street vendors,” she explained.

The mayor further said it is worth mentioning that local authorities in Namibia are governed within a given legal framework.

In an interview with New Era, the town’s spokesperson Victoria Haihambo added they have three open markets.

We have been telling the people to stop operating in streets and places that pose danger and in front of shops, but they keep telling us that they go there because of the economic situation and desperation for customers, even if you remove them today, they always go back, she said. 

Haihambo said the idea is not to arrest them or give them fines but to educate them on the dangers of operating at unsafe and unhygienic places, where their lives are also at risk, as well as to convince them to move to open markets. 

“The meeting was worth it. Some of the street vendors flocked to our office requesting for application forms to go operate at the current open markets,” she added.

 Haihambo also indicated that those who are going to be found operating illegally on the streets will be subjected to a fine, after a first warning.

Meanwhile, some street vendors have vowed to continue selling on streets despite being warned not to sell illegally along the streets, stating that selling their goods there is the only source of income to support their families. 

“It’s not that we do not want to go to the available open market but it’s about doing business where potential customers are. Like here in front of the mall. Our market is made of people that live deep in the villages since they are far from the shops. They always buy their tomatoes and meat here and in return we make profit,” said Selvia Shaanika, who has been operating in front of shops in Okahao town for years. 

Shaanika suggests that the best way to address illegal vending is to build an open market at the right place where one can find customers and not somewhere far from town or places where there are shops.  – vkaapanda@nepc.com.na