News / Regional
Gwanda bans food caravans
29 Jan 2015 at 06:40hrs | Views
Gwanda Town Council has ordered food caravan operators to cease operating with immediate effect and threatened to tow away mobile kitchens belonging to those who defy the order.
During a budget consultative meeting late last year, Gwanda residents were told that the government had directed all local authorities to ban food caravans.
In a letter dated January 23, 2014 issued to food caravan operators in the mining town, the municipality said the communication was a last warning to operators to cease operations.
"As per our correspondence to you dated August 6, 2014 and discussions held in the Special Health and Housing Meeting held in Gwanda on January 12, 2015, it was clearly stated that the council resolved to cease the operations of all food caravans on December 31, 2014. The move was necessitated by the fact that there were major health concerns raised in relation to the food caravan operations," read the letter from the municipality.
"You are hereby advised that all food caravans should remain closed until further communication from the council regarding the matter. Failure by the proprietors to adhere and remain closed will result in the towing away of the caravans by the Council without any other communication thereof."
The chairperson of the Gwanda Chamber of SMEs Velile Majongosi Mhlanga said efforts were being made to engage the municipality over the issue as the move was not good for small businesses.
"SMEs are the backbone of the country's economy so if you close SMEs business you are negatively affecting economic growth. We're worried because only Gwanda is affected," he said.
The municipality last year indicated that it would not renew operating licences for food caravans this year.
The local authority said that the ban was agreed upon by all urban local authorities.
Many local authorities seem reluctant to effect the ban but Gwanda Municipality has decided to take the lead, which has left operators stranded.
In Bulawayo, most caravans operate at Renkini, Nkulumane and Entumbane long distance termini.
Several others are found at Egodini terminus, Kelvin and Belmont industrial areas.
Sibongile Ndlovu, one of the people operating in Gwanda, said she was not happy about the order to close her business as she did not have any source of income to fend for her family.
"My family is surviving because of this business and if we close here how am I expected to look after my family? As it is, schools have opened and I'm still struggling to raise school fees. We want to earn a living and the council needs to understand that. I don't have any other source of income," she said.
Ndlovu said she was still struggling to repay the loan she used to buy the caravan.
"I bought this food caravan last year in October and I've not even recovered the capital I injected in this business," she added.
A commuter omnibus operator plying the Gwanda-Silalatshane route, Edson Ndlovu, said most of them bought food from the mobile kitchens as they provided good service.
During a budget consultative meeting late last year, Gwanda residents were told that the government had directed all local authorities to ban food caravans.
In a letter dated January 23, 2014 issued to food caravan operators in the mining town, the municipality said the communication was a last warning to operators to cease operations.
"As per our correspondence to you dated August 6, 2014 and discussions held in the Special Health and Housing Meeting held in Gwanda on January 12, 2015, it was clearly stated that the council resolved to cease the operations of all food caravans on December 31, 2014. The move was necessitated by the fact that there were major health concerns raised in relation to the food caravan operations," read the letter from the municipality.
"You are hereby advised that all food caravans should remain closed until further communication from the council regarding the matter. Failure by the proprietors to adhere and remain closed will result in the towing away of the caravans by the Council without any other communication thereof."
The chairperson of the Gwanda Chamber of SMEs Velile Majongosi Mhlanga said efforts were being made to engage the municipality over the issue as the move was not good for small businesses.
"SMEs are the backbone of the country's economy so if you close SMEs business you are negatively affecting economic growth. We're worried because only Gwanda is affected," he said.
The municipality last year indicated that it would not renew operating licences for food caravans this year.
The local authority said that the ban was agreed upon by all urban local authorities.
Many local authorities seem reluctant to effect the ban but Gwanda Municipality has decided to take the lead, which has left operators stranded.
In Bulawayo, most caravans operate at Renkini, Nkulumane and Entumbane long distance termini.
Several others are found at Egodini terminus, Kelvin and Belmont industrial areas.
Sibongile Ndlovu, one of the people operating in Gwanda, said she was not happy about the order to close her business as she did not have any source of income to fend for her family.
"My family is surviving because of this business and if we close here how am I expected to look after my family? As it is, schools have opened and I'm still struggling to raise school fees. We want to earn a living and the council needs to understand that. I don't have any other source of income," she said.
Ndlovu said she was still struggling to repay the loan she used to buy the caravan.
"I bought this food caravan last year in October and I've not even recovered the capital I injected in this business," she added.
A commuter omnibus operator plying the Gwanda-Silalatshane route, Edson Ndlovu, said most of them bought food from the mobile kitchens as they provided good service.
Source - chronicle
