ReturnLesotho - Sweat and tears as hawkers are chased from the streets By Lebohang Chefa, Infornation and Communications Officer, Transformation Resource Centre, Lesotho
Maseru - A peaceful prayer meeting ended in sweat and tears when armed units of police opened fire at a group of street vendors in Maseru on Monday, 26 November 2007. The police fired teargas and pellets in the midst of the crowd sending the street vendors across the streets and up the Maseru hill to take cover and save their lives. The prayer meeting had been organised by Khathang-Tema Baitšukuli, an organisation of more than 300 street vendors across Lesotho.
The organisation’s chairperson, Tšolo Lebitsa said they learned earlier that the Maseru City Council was planning an eviction of certain hawkers from the streets, especially from the main Kingsway Street. He said they have also sought solidarity from the taxi operators associations, factory workers unions and other workers. “We are contemplating a stay away to force the Maseru City Council into dialogue.”
The Lesotho Congress of Democratic Unions [LECODU] denounced the incident that took place in Maseru Central business district against informal economy operators. LECODU said the measures taken by Maseru City Council were ill conceived as “the livelihood of vast majority of people who by their own ingenuity and tenacity eke out a living through survival strategies are being jeopardized by perpetrators of the inhuman actions.” (Source: LECODU statement on 26th November, 2007; Press statement issued by TRC, Lesotho.)