Street vendors along the incomplete Ongos–Eneas Peter Nanyemba Road in Windhoek’s Havana informal settlement are demanding the urgent completion of the road project, saying construction delays are hurting their livelihoods.

Vendors say the project has been ongoing for three years with little visible progress.

"We want the construction to be completed. They said they would move the mbashus (makeshift stalls), but nothing has happened. Why can't they build us a market? They've built markets in other constituencies—why not here? We are also people like them. We've been burning in the sun for over 10 years now," said a 45-year-old vendor who has been trading in the area since her teenage years.

She also rejected the idea of relocation.

"If you move us somewhere far, we won't get customers, we will still come back here. Even if we stay home, we won't have anything to eat. We have children. That's why we sell here. We need money to buy bread for our schoolgoing children. The government must please consider us, the residents of Havana."

Another vendor, Tulonga Moses, said while she supports the road construction, the delays are frustrating.

"We are happy that they are constructing the road, but they should be fast about it because they are taking us away from here. They should also give us a new place where we can sell. This is the only way we feed our children. We don't want to be put in situations where we go and steal. They should help us."

Abed Erastus, PR and Stakeholder Relations Officer at Ongos Valley Development (Pty) Ltd, said delays were caused by illegal shack structures on the road reserve and recent heavy rainfall.

The road project spans 6.2 kilometres and is valued at N$380 million.