“There will be no survival in Havana without the street vendors. This open market is everything to us, it is the heart of Havana.”
These were the words of one of the frustrated street vendors and community leader, Rosalia Leonard when she complained of a planned road construction in Havana which will lead to their relocation.
Leonard, who has been a street vendor at the Havana four-way stop, told The Namibian that Havana will never be the same again after they were forced by the Windhoek City Council to relocate.
“Most of our people are unemployed and they survive on the affordable food, drinks and clothes we sell.
“We, the sellers, have no other place to operate from and I’m sure wherever they take us, there won’t be as many customers as we had here,” she said.
Leonard said she survived on selling fruits and vegetables at the four way stop.
“I’m frustrated because I don’t know the way forward, not only for my children but also for all the residents here.
“We have expressed our dissatisfaction since 25 February and the City of Windhoek promised to give us a place to stay,” she said.
According to a resident and street vendor at Havana, Manseline Mwaalela (32), they will be forced to demonstrate if the Windhoek City Council does not respond to their queries.
“We’re Namibians living in an independent country, but it doesn’t feel like it, because we’re constantly being chased away and unfortunately the unemployment rate is high and keeps rising. The question is for how long will we live like this?” Mwaalela asked.
One of the senior community members, Joseph Fernando, said they are grateful for the development and the road construction, however, most income in Havana is generated from the open market.
“Our street vendors have been here for many years and most of them are unemployed parents, who will be unable to earn a living without their businesses.”
Windhoek City Council spokesperson Harold Akwenye confirmed that vendors who were selling on the side of the road were moved to an open market in Havana.
“As for street vendors, I’m not aware of those that are not placed, but I know that the street vendors who were trading on the side of the road were moved to an open market that was temporarily built for them,” he said.
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