20 Dec 2017

- Kweneng District councillors have adopted a motion calling on the council to allow for the free operation of informal sectors alongside the main Molepolole road.

Debating the motion during the just ended council meeting, Lentsweletau East councillor, Mr Botokanyane Motoroko, who tabled the motion, called for the council to consider a waiver in its bye-laws to allow for free operations of the informal sectors, especially those selling fat cakes and potato chips by the road side.

Mr Motoroko, who is also the Molepolole Administrative Authority (MAA) council chairperson, said it would be unfair to regulate vendors when there were no designated areas for such businesses operations.

“We need to allow informal sectors to operate freely while still awaiting to come up with alternative measures. The important thing is to ensure they provide extinguishers that may be used for contingency,” said Mr Motoroko.

He emphasised the need to support the motion, saying the council was obliged to support the village’s economic growth.   

Despite attempts by Kweneng District Council secretary, Mr Goleba Kgari to have the motion deferred to the relevant committee, Mr Motoroko was adamant about having the motion discussed, saying the motion was presented in good faith with the sole intention of providing better lives for the community. 

Mr Kgari had argued that the motion would set a wrong precedent as the benefits would not only apply to the informal sector, but to all businesses that handled food in the area. He added that they would compromise issues of public health in the district.

“Allowing informal sectors to operate on the road reserve is a risky decision because the operators will be exposed to danger in case of an accident because they operate close to the road with exposed gas and constant use of boiling oil,” advised the council secretary.

He said he was aware that the council had an obligation to provide quality service, but that it also had to ensure that public health was not compromised by adhering to rules and regulations governing business operations.

“Let us not only look at the business aspect, but also safety as it is more critical in this regard,” emphasised Mr Kgari.

He requested the council to give relevant officials a chance to critically look into the issue, and to come up with strategies on how the informal sector could best be assisted rather than to expose them to danger. He added that adopting the motion would eventually backfire.

In an interview with Kweneng District Officer Commanding, Senior Superintendent Modise Gabatshwane said although they were not aware of the decision of the council on the matter, the police did not have powers to challenge it through enforcing the law as they considered the matter to be an in-house arrangement.

He said the decision to waiver the existing council bye-law might be risky, but that the police could not act against the decision unless required to do so by the council’s bye-law enforcement unit.

“We are empowered to challenge decisions that contravene the law made through an act of Parliament in an attempt to ensure that peace and stability prevailed,” said Mr Gabatshwane.ENDS