By: Annakleta Haikera
Street vendors operating at a private shopping complex in Rundu say they are facing an uncertain future after being ordered to vacate the premises by 31 March 2026.
The vendors claim the directive, issued through the Rundu Town Council, came without prior consultation and has left many of them in distress, fearing the loss of their only source of income.
“We were not consulted at all. We just received a letter telling us to leave,” said Maria Nankela, who has been selling at the site for over a decade.
“This place is our livelihood. Our customers know us here. If we move, we might lose everything,” she added.
The vendors say they have been operating at the location for several years, paying for their stalls and building a steady customer base over time. Many rely solely on their daily sales to support their families, pay rent, and cover school fees for their children.
Mahinga Johannes, another vendor, described the situation as devastating.
“We survive from hand to mouth. This business feeds our families. Now we are being told to go to places where we don’t even know if we will get customers,” he lamented.
Selma Shikongo, who sells clothes at the complex, said the majority of vendors are women trying to make an honest living.
“Most of us are mothers. We are not here for luxury; we are here to support our children. Moving us far away from town will destroy our businesses,” she expressed.
Other vendors, including Petrina Kambonde, Tomas Nekongo, Anna Mutero, and Paulus Haindongo, echoed similar concerns, saying the alternative markets suggested by the council are too far from their current customer base.
“How are we expected to survive in places where people don’t pass by as much? Here, we get customers every day because it is a busy area,” indicated Kambonde.
However, Rundu Town Council chief executive officer, Olavi Nathanael, said the decision follows a request from the property owners, who no longer permit informal trading on the premises.
According to Nathanael, the directive is in line with the Local Authorities Act of 1992 and the council’s informal trading regulations, which prohibit street vending on private property without the owner’s consent.
He added that affected vendors have been advised to relocate to designated municipal trading areas where space is available, including 40 spaces at Kehemu Open Market, 25 spaces at Rundu Open Market, and 157 spaces at Sauyemwa Open Market.
The council has warned that vendors who fail to comply with the order by 31 March 2026 may face fines and other enforcement actions. Despite this, vendors insist the proposed relocation sites are not viable for their businesses.
“How are we expected to survive in places where there are fewer customers? We are being pushed out without a real solution,” said Mukongo.
The vendors are now calling on the council and the property owners to reconsider the decision or at least engage them in meaningful consultations.
“We are not refusing to follow the law. We just want to be heard and given a fair chance to continue providing for our families,” stated Mutero.
With the deadline fast approaching, numerous vendors say they are left with more questions than answers as they face the possibility of losing their livelihoods.
Informal trading is a key source of income in Rundu, where unemployment is high and many people rely on small businesses to survive. Busy areas near stores like Dunns and PEP in the complex have become important trading spots due to high customer traffic.
Most vendors are women and breadwinners who depend on daily sales to support their families, but often face challenges such as lack of secure trading spaces and ongoing conflicts with authorities.
