NKURENKURU – Vendors from the old Nkurenkuru open market in the Kavango West region have been relocated to the new open market after 10 years of operating under substandard conditions. 

The new open market, inaugurated on Wednesday by Kavango West governor Sirkka Ausiku on behalf of the minister of Urban and Rural Development Erastus Uutoni, accommodates 70 vendors, who were moved from the old Nkurenkuru open market.
Vendors at the new market expressed joy, stating that the place is tidy and customers appreciate their food more because of the improved cleanliness compared to the old market.
They thanked the town council for their support, as they had previously been operating in an unsuitable environment.
“This new open market we have been moved to is completely different from the old place. At the old market, the stalls were overcrowded, making it untidy. Our water supply was also cut off by the town council due to high water bills. To make matters worse, the toilet facilities were in poor condition,” said one vendor.
She said they now need from the town council is the construction of a storeroom to store their goods.
“All we need is a storeroom, especially for those of us in the catering business, where we can keep our goods. Sometimes, we have a lot of equipment, like freezers, but nowhere to store them. So, in the second phase, the town council must remember us by constructing a storeroom,” she stated.
Agreeing with the vendors, Nkurenkuru Town Council spokesperson Sarah Mushongo said the old temporary structures where vendors had been operating were not suitable or hygienic for either vendors or customers.
“They have now moved to new temporary structures that adhere to health standards set by our health officers. One can see that in this new open market, there is a variety of different businesses operating,” she said.
Mushongo appealed to private companies to assist the town council in constructing the second phase of the open market, allowing vendors who are still operating in unsuitable environments to also be relocated. – Nampa