26 Feb 2023

Francistown City Council (FCC) recognises the role played by informal sector in growing the city’s economy and improving livelihoods of its residents.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Talita Monnakgotla in response to a question in Parliament recently.

Ms Monnakgotla acknowledged that Francistown was characterised by high density low income areas whose dwellers were mainly informal traders, adding, however, that the situation was not peculiar to Francistown, but all other urban areas in developing countries.

The assistant minister told Parliament that a number of initiatives had been developed including informal sector strategy and guidelines to manage, activate, organise and grow the informal sector in Francistown.

“The city council with the assistance of UNDP and its stakeholders including the informal sector association, has been consulting on the new Informal Sector Strategy and Bye-Laws which are at an advanced stage,” she added.

Again, she said the ministry had since provided central market traders with alternative market places to occupy at the bus terminal, airport, Somerset and Aerodrome locations around the city.

“Francistown City Council took a decision to evict the informal sector from the central market.

The council, however, took a decision to relocate the central market occupants to pave way for face-lifting of the Urban Core, which includes the central market and other related activities,” Ms Monnakgotla said.

Further, she told Parliament that prior to the eviction, the council had engaged extensively with the then occupants, who obliged and moved out to other council stalls located around the city.

“The relocated occupants nonetheless returned to the central market and are currently occupying the space illegally,” she said.

She further admitted that the council delegates undertook a trip to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to benchmark under the twinning arrangements with the Zimbabwean municipalities on how they handled challenges affecting the youth and not the informal sector.

The council, she said, had an internal youth committee spearheading the excursion and upon return, a number of recommendations were made, which, among others, supported the redevelopment of the city central including the market.

She noted that the ministry was aware of the council’s efforts to use the Francistown horticulture market premises for informal sector markets and production area in addition to the available areas.

“The facility is mainly requested to accommodate informal sector traders in the agriculture and fresh produce,” she said.

Francistown West legislator, Mr Ignatius Moswaane, had asked the minister if she was aware of intended eviction of the informal traders from the city’s central market. ENDS