Sellers urge authorities to put temporary market in place

By LUKE KAMA
A LOT of vendors from Gordon Market, the largest in the National Capital District, cannot sell their wares at the Boroko or Hohola markets because of limited space or confrontations with other vendors who have been there before them.
A long-time vendor and president of the Safe City Safe Markets for Women’s Association, Mesta James, expressed concern that women were finding it very difficult to sustain themselves and their families in the city and they were risking their lives trying to find a market place.
“When we go up to Holoha or Boroko market, there is no market space for us. The vendors there chased us so we had to argue over the limited market space which resulted in most of us not having a space.
“Apart from spacing, there are no tables, shelter, toilets and water supply at Hohola so how can some of our mothers, especially the pregnant mothers, do their marketing when there are no seats and tables?
“How can an old woman stand up to the strength and argument of a youth?
“So that is the problem and we are calling on National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop and the city authority to allocate a temporary market space for us during the reconstruction of Gordon Market, like the Unagi Oval,” James said.
She said the authorities had failed to plan properly and make temporarily market spaces available for the vendors.