Auleria Wakudumo
OSHAKATI – The Oshakati Town Council is facing mounting challenges in accommodating the rising number of street vendors, with both open markets and satellite markets teeming.
Spokesperson Katarina Kamari said the town is experiencing a daily influx of vendors, making it difficult to allocate them space in the designated markets.
“Our main open market, Dr Frans Aupa Indongo Open Market, and the satellite markets that we created are also full,” she said.
She added that there are places in town that are not formally registered as marketplaces but allow people to trade while the town council looks for appropriate trading spaces for them.
The council is working round the clock to find a lasting solution.
“The council is encouraging all traders in town to visit the council office and enquire about fitness certificates so that they can freely trade in town while adhering to the council’s trading regulations,” Kamari said.
Since last week, the council and the Namibian Police Force have been raising awareness among the street vendors.
“We realised that we are facing a serious issue in town where we are experiencing a lot of wildfires. We do not know where they are coming from.
We assume that could be one of the causes because as they are trading with coal, it could easily fall and start a fire, which could be dangerous to the community,” she stated.
Kamari said the kapana vendors crossed the roads haphazardly with their burning coal stoves, which can easily cause a fire or damage to vehicles.
She said the town council noticed a trend where street vendors sell sausages on coal near the service station, and began confiscating gas and coal stoves from the vendors as they pose a danger of triggering a fire at petrol service stations.
The vendors whose trolleys are confiscated are made to pay a fine of N$2 000.
“Previously, we used to fine them only N$100, but we realised that amount was too little as they could pay and easily return to the streets,” she said.
Among the affected traders is 31-year-old Kanghameni Simon, who complained that the council action had stripped him of his livelihood.
“I lost six gas stoves I use to cook sausages, fish and meat for sale,” he said.
He acknowledged hearing the council’s warning on the radio, but thought the decision was meant only for foreign traders.
He appealed to the town council to raise more community awareness, especially around the process of acquiring fitness certificates and the legal requirements for street trading.