High emotions as ‘machinga’ stalls demolished in Dar
Some machingas expressed their displeasure at the move to relocate them saying the October 1 ultimatum had caught them off guard. PHOTO | MCL
Dar es Salaam. City authorities yesterday started relocating petty traders so they would not conduct their businesses on road reserve at Vingunguti.
The move comes just a few days after President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed regional commissioners and their subordinates to handle the petty traders’ trading areas matter prudently by relocating them to more convenient places.
President Hassan’s directive was based on grounds of ensuring there was fair competition in undertaking business as well as making sure the machingas, as petty traders are commonly known, do not block pedestrians and vehicles flow.
Ilala Municipal executive director Jumanne Shauri said they started with breaking down stalls to ensure the traders relocated to the Machinga Complex.
A spot survey by The Citizen in various parts of the city, however, observed petty traders continuing with businesses as usual in their areas.
Some machingas expressed their displeasure at the move to relocate them saying the October 1 ultimatum had caught them off guard.
“Yesterday, at around 12 noon, about five vehicles carrying militia came to our trading area and took away all our goods, this is unacceptable. It’s driving us crazy,” Hamza Karne said.
“This job is everything to me. I have been feeding my family and paying school fees for my children it’s all thanks to this job,” he lamented.
Vingunguti-based petty traders’ secretary Evaristo Chegela said yesterday that more than 120 traders have had their stalls demolished.
“Last night I got a call from a security guard that they were breaking our business stalls and our merchandise had been confiscated,” he said.
Another trader, Ms Rukya Omary was wondering why the government had breached its ultimatum that required them to leave the place by October 1.
“We were surprised by yesterday’s (Wednesday) announcement requiring us to leave. Bad enough, before hearing from our side, government authorities started demolishing our stalls,” said Ms Omary.
In regard to the breaking down of petty traders’ stalls, petty traders chairman Stephen Sinde was not caught by the surprise. “I knew this was going to come as it is a directive from the President (Samia Suluhu Hassan) down to regional commissioners and district commissioners,” Mr Sinde told The Citizen over telephone.
“I got complaints from petty traders that the demolition was going on while they were still registering on the government database so that they can be relocated to new areas meant for them.”
