Africa-Press – Lesotho. The Prime Minister (PM) Dr. Moeketsi Majoro, the Minister of Small Businesses Development, Cooperatives and Marketing Hon. Thesele ‘Maseribane and the
Minister of Local Government and Chieftainship Hon. Tsoinyane Rapapa visited the street vendors at Ha-Thetsane to hear their grievances. This follows expulsion of
these vendors – who had found shelter behind Thetsane filling station – in November 2020. Maseru City Council (MCC) had claimed to be renovating the area
for them to have a proper work place. Also present at the discussions was Ha-Thetsane Community Councillor, Maseru Town Clerk Moeko Maboee as well as vendors.
Pouring their grievances, one street vendor – Fumane Nkaota said it has been long since they were denied access to their business side. “The land was flattened, grass is growing and
still there is no progress. We ask for time frame as to when they are going to start working, all we hear is matters are being worked on, we don’t want to go
for a year hearing the same story,” she said. In an interview with Informative Newspaper ‘Matsebo kapa said it is very heart-breaking waking up with no plans while she used to go to the street to generate income for her
children. She said that they are forced to sell along the road however “the municipality is against that too”. She explained that as schools are opening, she has no
money to pay children’s fees. Speaking at the gathering, Dr. Mojoro pointed out that it is crucial to identify people who will be legally allowed to use the area after construction.
He said it is often challenging to individually invest in a vending shelter, not knowing when the land authority will take the land. “Who would invest in a nice place not knowing when the councillor will remove or
destroy their nice build-up shelter?” Majoro added that there is a need for issuing licenses to street vendors. He said from discussions with his ministers, they agreed to start a market construction at Ha-Thetsane
and then roll out the project for street vendors nationwide. He added that he has come with the ministers for them to see and learn how they can work together, the three of them, then build new strategies of improving small
businesses. ‘Maseribane indicated that there is a need for formulation of a committee with representatives from the two ministries including the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of
Tourism, Environment and Culture. He said they need to sit down and plan for a proper infrastructure for small businesses. ‘Maseribane furthered that Ha-Thetsane
will take a pilot project and he does not think it would take long time to build regulations that will govern ways of operation. For his part, the Town
Clerk said they had asked street vendors to register their names and take the list to the municipality offices but they still have not received the list.
“This we asked in order to have accurate number of people to be compensated from the
destruction coursed by our offices last year, again to know the number of people we are going to place after the area is well constructed, to also avoid other clashes with people who may claim they were also part of the removed street vendors,” he explained.
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