2018-05-16Staff Report 2 Tuulikki Abraham LÜDERITZ - The street vendors of Lüderitz have been told to move from the place they usually operate from in town. It is believed the owner has sold the place and the vendors have been instructed to vacate the place as soon as humanly possible. This however dismayed many street vendors, as they have nowhere else to go if they relocate from the spot, where they currently peddle food and other wares. “Where do we go if we move from our selling places? The open market that we were told about is still not visible to us,” moaned one of the many affected street vendors. Another vendor appealed to the Lüderitz Town Council, to look for a suitable place in town for the street vendors not to lose their customers, while they are still waiting for the council to establish an open market at the town. “This is where I get money to pay for my children’s school fees and to provide for my family, if they move us how will we be able to provide for our families?” she rhetorically queried. When asked to give council’s side of the story, the Economic Development Officer of the Lüderitz Town Council Peya Junior Mushelenga about the matter, Mushelenga stated council is aware of the community’s outcry regarding the establishment of an open market. In the past, the Lüderitz Town Council approached the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) to assist in the said project, however this project could not materialise due to financial constraints faced by both institutions. In light of the above, council made an undertaking saying it is committed by ensuring that the planned open market could in future become a reality. Mushelenga also stated the notification which was issued to vendors recently is a directive from the new owner of the premise where vendors are currently trading from and council does not have any rights to object the notification. Council is however trying to identify a suitable place to allocate the vendors before the notification period lapses. 2018-05-16Staff Report 2
