Retailer’s manager trouble hawkers

Luqman Cloete

THE Keetmanshoop Pick ‘n Pay branch manager, Johan Schoeman, yesterday took the law into his own hands by forcibly removing street hawkers selling their wares on the pavement in front of the retail shop.

Fed up with the hawkers, Schoeman threw their goods on the street.

One of hawkers, Christophine Musenge, claimed Schoeman also used foul language to insult them while “pushing off” their goods from the sidewalk on the street.

“F*ck off from my premise, I dare you to call the f*cking Police and municipality,” Schoeman vented his frustrations to the hawkers, according to Musenge.

Saying that the hawkers were surprised by Schoeman’s actions since they were licensed to sell fruits, vegetables and loose items on the sidewalks, Musenge said she only retorted: “You must not insult us, we must sit and talk to solve our issues”.

A war of words also erupted between Schoeman and veteran affairs deputy minister Hilma Nicanor, who the hawkers called on to intervene following their eviction.

Nicanor confronted Schoeman in his office, asking him why he was evicting the licensed hawkers.

Without denying that he had forcibly evicted the hawkers from the sidewalk, Schoeman replied: “ They don’t have the right to do business in front of the shop. I pay rent for this premise”.

Hitting back, Nicanor said: “It’s Namibia. Here we have a free market system allowing people to do business from any place they wish as long as they are licensed to trade”.

Schoeman insisted that he has the right to evict the hawkers because they are disturbing Pick ‘n Pay customers.

“It’s my property, and I have the right to evict them,” said Schoeman, adding government has the obligation to give the hawkers a sidewalk.

At one stage, Nicanor told Schoeman that she knows him and his father-in-law, who previously owned the retail shop before Pick ‘n Pay had taken it over, when Schoeman interrupted: “Don’t make racist remarks”. Schoeman claimed that for the past three months he had been struggling to clear the hawkers from the sidewalk in front of the retail shop, adding that he had also approached the municipality in that regard without any success.

Schoeman charged that he had asked the hawkers in a cordial manner to stop selling their goods on the sidewalk in front of the retail shop, adding that they allegedly responded with the words: “It’s Namibia. It’s not f*cking Boere land”.

The mayor of the town, Moses Titus, who accompanied Nicanor to Schoeman’s office also explained to Schoeman that he has no right to evict the hawkers.

“The one who should evict is the municipality, therefore all role players in this matter need to come together to find an amicable solution to it,” said Titus.

After the two politicians directed Schoeman that he must leave the hawkers in peace to continue with trading since they were doing it legally, Schoeman responded: “Next time you must bring more people with you.” When asked by The Namibian what he had meant with the latter statement, Schoeman said: “Only the two of them (Titus and Nicanor) should have approached me to solve the issue, but they swamped my office with lots of people”.

Nicanor did not take Schoeman’s statement as a joke, and before leaving the office retorted: “Next time you’ll go with us”.

Pick ‘n Pay managing director Henry Feris said he understands that all people have rights.

However, he added that people should keep in mind while exercising their rights to respect other people’s rights such as business entities and customers.

“I need to act in the best interest of my customer,” said Feris.

Feris added it was news to him that the hawkers in question have licenses, adding that he would take up the issue with the relevant authorities to find an amicable solution to the matter.

“It’s unfortunate that Pick ‘n Pay finds itself in this situation,” said Feris.