Africa-Press – Namibia.
For street vendors Sondaha Nella and Johannes Kanyenga, whose survival is solely anchored on selling sweets, fruits, vegetables and other household perishables in the busy streets of Windhoek CBD, trading has become an intricate two interwoven contradiction.
Kanyenga, Nella and dozens of other street vendors who operate in the vicinity of Shoprite supermarket and the nearby taxi rank in town, yesterday clashed with members of the Windhoek City Police after they refused to comply with the eviction orders.
Yesterday’s forced eviction follows repeated stern warnings from the police for the vendors to vacate the area and look for alternative outlets where they can legally and freely sell their products.
The eviction orders were issued about three weeks ago, but the vendors refused to move as they claim that there are no other available areas or spots in the central business district where their businesses will thrive than the current spot at Shoprite and the adjacent taxi rank.
For Kanyenga and Nella, yesterday’s clashes with the police were again a gruesome reminder of how their income and livelihoods “are in a fragile state and not considered by the authorities at all.”
Both have been trading there for over half a decade and it has become their sole revenue stream, but as matters stand now, the two vendors said trading at Shoprite and the adjacent taxi rank has become impossible.
The first contradiction, they contested, is the massive presence of street trade and the persistent, ambiguous regulatory framework, while the second contradiction has to do with the misconception of street vending being an unorganised and temporary activity.
“The City Police have been chasing us all these days, yet this small business is where we get money to buy bread, food and soap. Everything comes from here. If they see you standing with your trolley, they take it or even kick it. They chase you like a dog. Are we selling poison? These is healthy food, vegetables and fruits. Why are they doing this to us?” asked a frustrated Kanyenga. He questioned why they were being removed despite having what he described as valid permits, further contending that they have been paying the municipality for their trading spaces and do not understand why they are now being treated as if they are operating illegally.
“Yes, we have valid permits. We have been paying the municipality and now they are working together with the City Police to chase us. I don’t know what their real target is. Namibia is a free country.
Why do some Namibians have to suffer like this? We are educated but we are struggling to get jobs and that is why we are selling, so we can survive,” he said.
Bleak future
For Nella, who has been selling at the Shoprite parking area since 2020, business has become a nightmare due to constant clashes with the police, which she said affects their income and certainty for business continuation.
She said that she and other traders were previously allocated numbers and were allowed to operate in an organised manner.
“When we started here, they were giving us numbers. Everyone had a number. There were even people who came to show us plans to build markets and put up shelters for us,” she said. However, she said the situation again changed earlier this month when City Police officials issued a warning that trading would no longer be permitted in the area.
On 7 February, she said, a red line was marked at the site, signalling that vendors were not allowed to cross it.
“From that day, we are not selling. We are just in the street. We have children who are going to school, but we don’t have money for taxi fares,” she said.
She added that the vendors wrote a letter to the mayor’s office seeking clarity but have not received a response.
“They did not give us any market. They just told us to go. We don’t know what is going on. We want to sell to help our children. We don’t want them to suffer like us,” she said. A lack of an alternative trading site leaves many traders unsure of how they will continue to provide for their families.
Some have reportedly resorted to standing along the street, hoping to make occasional sales, while avoiding confrontation with law enforcement.
Uncertainty
The vendors are now calling on the City of Windhoek and relevant authorities to engage them directly and provide a lawful solution that will allow them to continue trading. City Police officials at the scene were approached for comment but declined to respond.
For now, the traders remain in limbo and are uncertain whether they will be allowed to return to their former spots or be relocated elsewhere. What they say they want most is clarity, fairness and an opportunity to earn an honest living.
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