06 Dec 2016

 Molepolole Administrative Authority’s efforts to raid illegal traders along the main road in Molepolole proved futile after the said illegal traders vowed to continue operating their businesses regardless of the council threats.

The council recently undertook two secret operations to remove small businesses operating along the main road.

 The first operation started two weeks back targeting businesses that offer tyre services.

Consequent to that, the council also carried out another operation targeting various businesses that also operate along the main road such as barbershops, shoe repairs, fruit and vegetables, catering businesses among others.

Illegal traders cited in an interview that the bye-law office had never consulted them and that the operation was done in the early hours on Sunday (December 4).  

When they got to work they found their shelters demolished.

The business operators who most of whom are youth said they do not want to steal but rather work with their hands to earn a living.

One of the operators, 29-year-old, Mr Ntsime Kebonyemotse said that he earns a living through his small barbershop.  

He stated that he works seven days a week and makes sure that where he operates was always clean.

Mr  Kebonyemotse, however said he would continue with his business despite council’s threats.

He stressed that, they had spent lots of money buying material for their shelters.  

Also, he said through his business, he was able to take care of his kids.

Mr Kago Bareeng, a shoe repairer, stated that the bye-law office does not cooperate well with them citing that, when they wanted to be licensed, they were told that they do not know which category they could fit shoe repairers.

Again, Mr Bareeng said the office told them to relocate their businesses to industrial site despite the fact that there were no plots adding their services do not have sufficient market there because they access most of their customers near shopping centres.

On top of that rental fees, he said were high at the industrial site.

Mr Bokang Modise, another operator  who runs a tyre puncture business said he totally disagrees with the way council handled the matter, asking “where should we go?”  

He said unemployment rate in the village was rife but a lot of people operating their businesses along the road wanted to create employment for themselves.  

He further said poverty eradication programmes were not beneficial to them and officers take long to respond to applications.

Mr Modise also said that after their businesses were raided all tyre services business operators met to map a way forward.  

He explained that currently they had filed their petition at the area MPs office and still awaiting his response.

When responding to allegations that some of their businesses sell drugs under the guise that they offer tyre services, Mr Modise said under such circumstances, the council should deal with those who sell drugs and perhaps deploy services of sniffer dogs than to put a blanket cover on everyone who operates with tyres.

He further said when the council did the operation, they went away with their customers’ tyres who had already paid, as a result, they do not know how they were going to refund their customers.

Meanwhile senior council secretary for Molepolole Administrative Authority, Mr Gofaone Kgabanyane said in an interview that illegal traders had been issued with letters in September not to erect permanent structures along roads and that when they knock off, they should leave the area they operate in clean and tidy.

He also said that, even last year around August, council had written traders letters stating conditions of operation.

However, Mr Kgabanyane said council would continue with efforts to raid those who build permanent structures.  

He also stressed that council wants people to earn a living but they wanted them to adhere to the set conditions of operation.

He further cited that some businesses such as the ones offering tyre services and barbershops were not allowed to operate along the road because of public health concerns.  

Mr Kgabanyane said their interest was to safeguard the safety of the community and that the village should look neat and tidy.

He explained that it was a growing concern that some of these businesses had become  distribution points for illicit substances such as drugs adding that they would not allow such businesses to continue putting people’s lives at a risk. ENDS