Tribute to Street Vendors

THIS LETTER PAYS tribute to all street vendors in Namibia who risk bad weather, crime, foul language and other forms of undignified working conditions to stimulate the economic growth of our country. Let me highlight some of the challenges faced by these street heroes.

Lack of family time: Street vendors often sacrifice quality family time in order to put food on the table. Oftentimes, they leave their homes early in the morning and only return after sunset. Unfortunately, this is a recipe for emotional breakdowns, because family members become emotionally disconnected from one another.

Crime: Street vendors are highly exposed to robbery, rape or physical assault, because most of them travel by foot to and from their selling destinations. As a result, they fall prey to criminals who view them as the quickest source of cash to satiate their fad desires. However, vendors view these risky circumstances as business opportunities to ensure that their families are clothed and fed with dignity.

Fatigue: Street vending is a strenuous exercise that requires physical and vocal effort to attract customers. Essentially, your vocal and persuasion skills determine how much you take home at the end of each day. However, this tendency often attracts derogatory language from potential customers. In addition, vendors often jostle and hustle for customers in scorching heat or cold weather.

Hostile market: The outbreak of Covid-19 vividly demonstrated that street vending is more vulnerable to external forces. For example, the national lockdowns and curfews imposed by the government upended the operational market place as streets became a war zone in the fight against the pandemic. However, vendors deserve medals of economic progress, because they exhibited resilience, perseverance and determination to succeed after the lockdown.

Similarly, street vendors deserve a standing ovation because they contribute significantly to the countrys gross domestic product, poverty alleviation and unemployment statistics.

Therefore, I urge all and sundry to support our street heroes who sacrifice their social lives to earn decent incomes for their families.

Munihango wa Mukendwa

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