The Okahandja Municipality and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economy, Industry, Public Administration and Planning met with Okahandja street vendors to hear their daily challenges.

The delegation led by Hilma Iita, among others, engaged the vendors on social protection, access to capital, criminalisation of the informal traders, infrastructure, training and skills development, as well as stigmatisation of the informal economy.

"We are here to see the premises, the selling point, as well as the SME centres and facility in Okahandja, to conduct an assessment of the condition under which informal traders and SMEs in Okahandja carry on with their business and their daily activities."

The Okahandja Mayor, Beatrice Kotungondo, stated that the municipality does not condone vendors selling at undesignated places such as on the road or at traffic lights. 

She added that the municipality is working on building safe places for vendors to operate from once given the availability of finances.

"As a council, we've had or we've made some provisions, but I think it's something that will come through the discussions as well. We've identified and made provisions for stalls or SME Park that we would like to set up. Unfortunately our biggest challenge has always been finances."

The vendors, among others, want a better operating environment that is market-friendly with ablution facilities.

"We need a safe space to be selling there that is in town where we can get customers easily."

"We are in the street now, and we need a safe place to be selling our goods to avoid becoming thieves so we go to jail."

"So this SME part, which is made by the municipality, is not conducive. They cannot accommodate all the ventures. The problem is, even this open market does not have water and toilet facilities. So the virus is there, and they bring the people here and squeeze them in the one-on-one. One area, and it can cause the spread of viruses, concluded Iita.