SOME people have appreciated the operation currently
being undertaken by Ilala militiamen in their forceful eviction of petty
traders popularly known as ‘Machingas’ who clogged main streets around Kariakoo
business complex in Dar es Salaam city, saying that the move has rendered free movements
in areas which were formerly impassable. The survey carried out last week witnessed
scores of city militiamen in their active operation of evicting petty traders being
carried out along Tandamti Street, although some people condemned the exercise
saying it is being conducted with cruelty. In an interview with this paper, quite
a number of people have appreciated the move dubbed, “Cleaning the city” with
few who felt the pinch of the exercises, showed sympathy to the affected petty
traders. Speaking while in grief stricken mood, Suzana Mwombeki a resident of
Kibaha Mwendapole said that, the approach used by the militiamen to attack traders
is in a harsh manner bearing the fact that, traders have their valuable
merchandise which some gets destroyed and never compensated for the losses
incurred. Suzana who is in the city to fulfill a business appointment, could
not restrain her tears as they flowed down her chicks when she took a glimpse
as militiamen as they were harassing petty traders without using peaceful ways
to relocate them.Elaborating more, she witnessed a single woman with her
breastfeeding young baby strapped on her back being harassed at the scene
without mercy after the soldiers had invaded her and began picking up her
business items which she had spread on the ground. Lucky petty traders from the
same scene swiftly managed to escape their sight. Suzana who is among the less
feared women was terrified at that time when she saw such a large group of
militiamen who when they had approached the area began to stamp on the tomatoes
and some fruits of the fleeing petty traders while they took others along with
them to unknown destination. Narrating the ordeal, she stood in great amazement
while watching the drama and wondered in disbelief without knowing what to do
over what was happening at such unlikely time of the day, Tears from her was an indication that she felt
sympathetic with the woman whom she regarded as being among the low income
people struggling for a daily bread for the entire family which for that day
might have probably ended up sleeping with empty stomach. This is a terrified
situation that has caused an endless debate among the people around who used to
witness the drama whenever the two parties come into confrontation while in
abrupt operation in three Dar es Salaam municipal councils of Ilala, Temeke and
Kinondoni. Under the prevailing situation,
most people have been saying that lack of employment is what takes petty
traders into such extremes. For a new comer in Dar es Salaam city it would be a
great surprise when walking down the main streets and happen to encounter with
such a fracas, and probably would dare to criticize the offending group who
doesn’t want to comply with the laid down rules and regulations altogether. Jacob
Onesmo who is a business man in Morogoro town narrated his experience to the
writer of this news in favour of the city militiamen. According to him, petty
traders are always at fault for disobeying city orders which requires them to
vacate from trading in unrestricted areas especially within the road reserve.
He
noted that, whenever he arrives in Dar es Salaam city, he has been experiencing
some difficulties while trying to force his movements through if in a hurry at
Kariakoo whenever he goes for shopping of his business goods there. Onesmo who trades
in ICT tools and other electronic gadgets used to order a bulk purchase of various
kinds of assortments at Kariakoo main shopping centre in the city. He noted
that, the area is so overcrowded with people all the time throughout the day. Ostracizing
the plight of the area, he says that, he sometimes encounters with lots of difficulties
mostly when in need of transport to carry his purchased goods due to the fact
that, all streets in the area are clogged and busy with petty business
activities that it sometimes become difficult to pass through. Efforts to
remove petty traders in the city has become an uphill task indeed, an exercise
which sometimes ended up in violence when the city militiamen confronts petty
traders, says one shopkeeper who identified himself by one name Shomari. However,
he suggested that, ‘the operation like this one should be planned with
successful strategic plans and properly organized, otherwise hatred among them
would continue unabated. He suggested
that, the authorities from the local government to national level should
deliberate on the possible ways on how they could empower small scale traders
by giving them special areas to conduct their activities. Shomari had doubts that how comes that, such
operations should involve confiscation of vendors’ merchandise and other
properties and where are they actually taken to. Have their owners given ample
time to reclaim them later on, he queried. Contacted for comment over the
matter, the Municipal council legal officer, Mashauri Musimu said that, the
confiscated goods are reserved in a room at the ward office and sometimes in court
awaiting owners to come and claim them. However, he denied the fact that such goods
are distributed among workers of the council as widely speculated by people in
the street. He clarified that, once owners appears in court are normally fined
for disobedience after which are handed back their properties with strict order
not to repeat conducting business in restricted areas. He further said that,
the funny thing is that, most traders do not appear in court to meet such
penalties which are normally imposed as fines between Shj. 50,000/- and Sh.
100,000/-, and instead resort to boycott their goods. He further clarified that,
the perishable goods such as tomatoes, fruits and those likely to go bad are
taken to government children’s centres (approved school) for consumption. For
none perishable goods, he said are publicly auctioned. The Ilala Municipal Public
Relations Officer, Tabu Shaibu said that, the move by the municipality is
intact as it aim to remove vendors who have been inconveniencing movements of
motor vehicles and people as most of them have invaded road reserve. According
to her, the operation will continue as usual to make sure that such traders do
not conduct their businesses within the road reserve areas as stipulated in
local government laws, otherwise the authorities would continue arresting them
and their properties. He says that, the continued presence of these traders in
these areas is against the law and that it was legal to confiscate their
properties and tendered them as physical evidences before the court while on
trial. Commenting over the harassments caused during the operation, the Dar es
Salaam Special Police Zone Commander, ACP Sulleiman Kova said that, the police
deals with criminal offences and ensures the safety of the citizens in the
country. But, he continued and said that if such operation would endanger petty
traders in one way or another, then the police would intervene for the interest
of maintaining safety and noted that, since the operations started the police
have not been involved so much.
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