NHLANGANO: The 30 street vendors who were kicked out of the Nhlangano town centre for owing rent are now back in the streets doing business after the Councillors being the highest authority of the town 'ordered' the Management to allow them to do business.
Speaking to this publication, Mathokoza Sikhondze, the National Coordinator for the Coalition of Informal Economy Associations in Eswatini (CIEAES) said the Councillors were not even aware that the women vendors were expelled from the town but took action after reading the story this Swaziland News.
"When the story broke, the Councillors held an urgent meeting with the management to address the issue and it recommended that the vendors be allowed back on the streets and pay the outstanding fees at their own pace. It transpired that the Councillors were not even aware that the vendors were kicked out of the town but the Management led by Apollo Maphalala took decisions without consulting with the Council\" said the Informal Traders Coordinator.
On or around 14th January, this publication reported that 30 vendors from Siyezama Traders Association were kicked out of the Nhlangano town centre for permit rental arrears.The town management demanded that they pay 12 months rental fees for the year 2020 even thou they only worked 9 months in the midst of the COVID-19 partial lockdown.
Apollo Maphalala, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nhlangano town could not be reached for comments at the time of compiling this report as his mobile phone rang unanswered.
Nhlangano vendors