*Vendors face devastating holiday eviction by December 31st
*Desperate moms cry for help as GCC enforces court order
Gaborone Market vendors are staring at a depressing festive season after being ordered by the Gaborone City Council (GCC) to vacate their stalls by December 31.
Following a recent address by Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe and Gaborone Mayor Oarabile Motlaleng confirming the eviction deadline, The Voice visited affected vendors, who expressed anger and despair over the decision.
In an emotional interview, stall owner Precious Mollentze accused the city council of longstanding incidents of abuse and neglect. “GCC has never worked well with us. They abuse us, calling us thieves, yet they take rent money from us.
How do they take rent from thieves?” she asked.
Mollentze said the stalls were originally meant for poverty eradication, not council profit.
She added that vendors installed electricity and handled maintenance themselves despite council promises.
“We even hired our own security since 2005. Now they claim we owe them P15 million, yet they owe us for all the maintenance we covered,” she said.
She further revealed that vendors were told they would be removed permanently on December 31.
“I have five children, including a blind child who depends entirely on me. How will I survive after December 31st? The council has destroyed families that depend on these stalls. Are we all at fault?” she questioned.
Another stall owner Chandapiwa Makhulu echoed similar concerns, saying council never properly consulted vendors.
“We took these stalls out of hunger. Our journey with the council has been painful. We have families, school fees and daily needs. The council robbed us,” she said.
Another vendor, Barona Kemelo Ntwaetsile of Gaborone West, said the decision hurt her deeply. “If we have no leases as council says, why is council taking rent from us? They never check on us, they only want money,” she said.
Ntwaetsile warned that eviction would worsen poverty and health challenges. “We survive through these stalls. Our children will turn into crime and prostitution for survival. Stress due to heart attacks will cause deaths,” she said.
Maipelo Baruti, a G-West vendor since 1997, said her rent rose sharply from P171 to P2,116. “I run a sewing business. It takes time to make sales because people rarely buy clothes anymore. This eviction will destroy us,” she said.
Responding to the concerns, Mayor Oarabile Motlaleng told The Voice that GCC had consulted vendors several times regarding the matter.
He said a private developer gave them a court order in September 2024 compelling the council to ensure vendors vacate the stalls by December 31.
However, he added that council requested the developer to prioritise existing vendors when applications ope for new stalls after redevelopment.
But for the vendors who are already counting down the days, those assurances offer little comfort against the immediate reality of an eviction notice that threatens to shatter their livelihoods.
