“We’ve been here for 25 years, no President ever sacked us”. Yes they have been there for 25 years. That’s the reality.
The first hawker whose picture went viral indicated the area used to be her vending spot for her coconut business before they started the project.
These problems together with many other indiscipline, unlawful and inappropriate behaviors and attitudes in the country exposes our ineffective implementation of laws. As well as lack of orderliness, job opportunities, proper town planning and economic opportunities.
Where will she go when we sack her? Is this not wickedness? After all is she not selling? She shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Not at all. The idea of her getting the courage to even sell at the place shouldn’t occur. Because it is unlawful. However, this is a trend among hawkers across the country who have occupied inappropriate and unlawful places.
Undeniably, street hawking in the country has grown to become a fragment of our economic structure, particularly in the informal sector. At the moment it is the source of livelihood to many people in the country.
As I said, majority of these hawkers solely depend on these jobs to cater for their families and themselves. And do you think if they get a better place to sell or even a better job to do, they wouldn’t do? Yes, they will. But honestly there are no jobs and that is the reality again.
As a nation, our leaders have equally failed us. And we the citizens haven’t also been good citizens enough. It’s about time we act. It’s about time we talk and hold people accountable. It’s about time we become nationalistic.
And we need to address it properly and holistically. Again, what has been the development regarding this? Are there enough appropriate and lawful places or stores/markets for these hawkers to sell. What plans do government or the various metropolis have in solving this problem? What are they doing to reduce unemployment?
You are either part of the solution or the problem. We need to start from somewhere and the time is now. In the case of this newly constructed Flower Pot Interchange and the hawkers, if proper measures are not made to fix this – we are going to complain about the same things over and again without any change.
We are literally going to solve problems and add more problems at the same time. This attitude of indiscipline and economic pretext is not going to save us.
