Mr Ketshogile said over the past few days there had been misinformation circulating within the public suggesting that Palapye District Council was ruthless towards the informal sector.

He said this during the official opening Palapye District full council session on Monday.

Mr Ketshogile explained that there was an ongoing informal sector clean-up campaign along the Palapye main roads carried out by council, saying the campaign was not targeting those lawfully operating and using their structures.

He said the purpose of the exercise was to remove abandoned and unused structures and shelters along Palapye road and had been left unoccupied  afor  many  years. 

 “Our goal is to maintain cleanliness, order, and safety in our village, not to disrupt legitimate businesses. All informal traders who are actively using their structures for business will not be affected,’’ he said.

Mr Ketshogile said that the council should support the informal sector while at the same time they must also ensure public safety and compliance to basic regulations.

“We want to sensitise all informal traders that open fire is strictly prohibited along the roadside because they pose a serious fire risk, especially in areas with makeshift structures and high pedestrian movement,’’ he said.

He said as a community, they were reminded of the unfortunate fire incident involving a cooking container near the Gaborone hiking spot and that incident was a result of failing to adhere safety rules. 

He said such accidents not only endanger lives and property but also threaten the very existence of the informal sector they are working to protect.

Mr Ketshogile, therefore said  council had banned cooking food on-site, especially in mobile kitchens or containers along the roadside, due to concerns over fire safety and public health.

He  said the move was aimed at protecting lives, businesses and property saying it was no meant to be punitive. 

He appealed to traders to cooperate and follow the rules, citing a shortage of fire equipment to deal with outbreaks.

Permanent structures are also not allowed within road reserves, and permission must be sought from the council’s physical planning section, said Mr Ketshogile. 

He assured the informal sector traders that the council was working on a structured plan for the allocation of trading spaces along the major road.

 This plan, he said would ensure that informal traders could operate without interfering with traffic flow or pedestrian movement, while also ensuring that the streets remained clean and organised at all times. 

He said Palapye District Council supported the informal sector and also recognised the  challenging economic times where many families depended on informal trading as their primary source of income. 

Mr Ketshogile said as Council, they understand this reality, remain committed to supporting and protecting livelihoods within the community and they believe the informal sector was a vehicle through which unemployment  could be addressed and improve the economic status of the populace ENDS