Cleaning Up The Omatala

FIRST, I want to thank The Namibian for its great reporting of news all around the country.I was very pleased to read the recent news in your newspaper that the Oshakati Town Council will place the Omatala Open Market under new management.

For those of us who live in Oshakati and the surrounding areas, we hope this means a cleaner market that is more presentable and welcoming to the public. We hope the area will be cleaner with less congestion and unnecessary pandemonium.As the present condition of the market is appalling and disgracefully filthy, our wish is that the new management will bring some much-needed order to the chaos in that central area of Oshakati.Also very important is the need for stiffer regulations and on-site supervision to bring order to the aggressive and sometimes reckless minibus or taxi drivers in the Omatala Open Market.For those of us who travel back and forth between various areas of the North and South of our beautiful Namibia, it is stressful having to face the hyperactive mob of taxi drivers fighting for customers arriving at the Open Market.Even before one arrives in the area for a taxi or minibus service, a mob of male drivers are tearing your bags from you as well as pulling your limbs in many different directions.It is unfair to us paying customers and taxpayers to have to succumb to this extreme barbaric behaviour when all we want is to safely enter a minibus taxi and arrive peacefully at our destination.Our hope is that the new management will maintain order and have minibus drivers queue in an orderly fashion for their passengers.Truly, a clean market and peaceful boarding of taxis would be the ideal scenario at the Open Market.However, unfortunately, for the time being the Open Market is far from being characterised as a peaceful and relaxing haven where fledgling local small businesses are situated.I cannot reiterate enough that we all look forward to the new and improved management of the Omatala Open Market.A safer and cleaner Oshakati would benefit us all.We hope that new management would promote cleaner streets, create a more beautified downtown Oshakati that is fast developing into a more powerful centre of commerce; facilitate safer boarding and travel for both passengers and drivers at the taxi stand; and hopefully improve the qualify of life for all of us who call this part of the North our home.Clean Advocate Via e-mailWe hope the area will be cleaner with less congestion and unnecessary pandemonium.As the present condition of the market is appalling and disgracefully filthy, our wish is that the new management will bring some much-needed order to the chaos in that central area of Oshakati.Also very important is the need for stiffer regulations and on-site supervision to bring order to the aggressive and sometimes reckless minibus or taxi drivers in the Omatala Open Market.For those of us who travel back and forth between various areas of the North and South of our beautiful Namibia, it is stressful having to face the hyperactive mob of taxi drivers fighting for customers arriving at the Open Market.Even before one arrives in the area for a taxi or minibus service, a mob of male drivers are tearing your bags from you as well as pulling your limbs in many different directions.It is unfair to us paying customers and taxpayers to have to succumb to this extreme barbaric behaviour when all we want is to safely enter a minibus taxi and arrive peacefully at our destination.Our hope is that the new management will maintain order and have minibus drivers queue in an orderly fashion for their passengers.Truly, a clean market and peaceful boarding of taxis would be the ideal scenario at the Open Market.However, unfortunately, for the time being the Open Market is far from being characterised as a peaceful and relaxing haven where fledgling local small businesses are situated.I cannot reiterate enough that we all look forward to the new and improved management of the Omatala Open Market.A safer and cleaner Oshakati would benefit us all.We hope that new management would promote cleaner streets, create a more beautified downtown Oshakati that is fast developing into a more powerful centre of commerce; facilitate safer boarding and travel for both passengers and drivers at the taxi stand; and hopefully improve the qualify of life for all of us who call this part of the North our home.Clean Advocate Via e-mail