Long term strategy needed to solve hawking crisis

Dar es Salaam. Hawkers and street vendors have become a common scene in city and urban centres in Tanzania for decades.

Fleeing poverty and underdevelopment in rural areas the youth migrate in towns in droves filled with hopes of formal employment in factories but almost always end up in the street pavements and by roadsides selling an assortment of merchandise.

A survey conducted by The Citizen in major cities and towns has revealed how complicated the problem is and how local authorities have run out of options to solve the problem. And as the youth become a significant voting block so has handling of the issue of hawkers been highly politicized.

In a series of special reports running from Monday, February 27, The Citizen suggests that dealing with the issue of hawking -which is a manifestation of the growing unemployment time bomb and rural neglect- would require long-term strategies.