25 Jul 2013

 Francistown City Council (FCC) has issued 367 vendors licences to some of the 600 informal sector traders operating in the Central Business District (CBD). This was due to the suspension of issuing of trading licences, which has been running for years.

The mayor, Mr James Kgalajwe said in an interview that the decision to issue informal sector with vendors’ licences was as a result of a resolution which was taken by the council’s finance committee, after numerous concerns from the councillors and the public of a serious congestion seen in the city centre.

It was then that a councillors’ task force from the finance committee was set up to make assessment on traders operating in the CBD. The mayor pointed out that it was through the assessment that traders were registered and of the 800 found, 600 were operating without vendors licences, hence a decision was taken based on the task force report to have them issued with licences.

He further highlighted that it was also a way of reducing congestion and illegal trading by some traders because through the exercise, they were also arranging them based on the spaces they were found operating on. The mayor said as such, it helped them to fight intruders that would come after they have registered those they found in the area.

Before the exercise, he said they called all the traders to a meeting to inform and consult with them about the registration exercise and its purpose, so that every Motswana can be given the opportunity to own vendors licences, particularly those who have been operating in the area for years without one.

In addition, Cllr Kgalajwe stated that the issuing of licences comes with changes as some traders will have to be relocated to other places, particularly those selling in bulk in trucks.

This he said is because they remain stationed in parking lots, which are meant for customers for the malls, and this leads to shortage of parking space.

He noted that they have made arrangements for those traders selling in bulk to move to the Horticulture market behind the Fire station and make use of it as it has been turned into a white elephant since it was built some years ago.

Mayor Kgalajwe nonetheless stressed that issuing of vendors licences to the general public remains suspended until such a time they will have secured another space to allocate traders.

Furthermore, he pointed out that they are in talks with traders to always clean their working spaces.

Meanwhile, some traders have welcomed the developments saying some operators with licences have been making copies of their licences and renting them out to illegal immigrants and the current arrangement of registering one from their operating stations will help ease such.

One, Ms Lethabo Mabele said being issued with a vendors licence has come as relief to her because during bye law officers visitation exercises, she was always amongst the people charged for operating without a licence and at times, she will stay long without paying the charge, hence losing out on business for days.

Another trader who preferred to be anonymous said the move by the city council to issue vendors licences, whereas they have been saying they are suspended is a strategic move to get votes from people.

She said if it was not their strategy to get votes, it should have been open to every Motswana even those outside the CBD, adding that she does not take kindly the decision that some of them operating from their vehicles are to be moved to the horticulture market.

Furthermore, she said the council was not being fair to them because it is going to take some time for people to get used to their new location and as such they are going to lose out on business as their only main source of income.ENDS.