For over five years the vendors have been resisting calls to relocate. They argue that other alternative spaces offered by the council are not suitable for the businesses.
On the other hand, council authorities argue that the land where the market is situated can only be fairly rewarding if turned into a new state-of-the-art central business district.
The standoff prompted the council to approach the Francistown High Court in a bid to secure an eviction order. This week, when briefing an ordinary full council meeting, city mayor Godisang Radisigo noted that the local authority is on the brink of securing a court order to evict the vendors.
“The council has commenced eviction processes which entail applying for an eviction order from the High Court. “The status hearing roll was done on May 8, 2023. Council is awaiting judgment for the eviction order. “It is unfortunate that the project was delayed by poor stakeholder collaboration,” he said.
No judgment date has been set as the High Court is due to finalise the date.
The council gave the market occupants final eviction letters through their association on February 4 this year instructing them to vacate their market stalls by February 28. However, the market vendors did not heed the call, according to the mayor, prompting the council to go to court. The council then applied to the court for an application for eviction on March 31, 2022.
During the full council meeting, Radisigo reiterated that he expects Amasa to start construction in September after the handing over of the site and the necessary design work by the council. Amasa, a 100% citizen-owned company, was in 2020 unveiled as the new developer for the council’s central market plot. The company was given a 25-year lease period to build a modern business complex.
Amasa will pay the council a fee of P28,000 a month as part of the 25-year lease agreement. “Going forward the council intends to strengthen dialogue with the informal sector to build the necessary rapport that can generate informal sector growth aligned with the city’s development agenda as captured in the city’s informal sector strategy,” Radisigo said.
The vendors have often accused the CoF of persecution. The council has countered by saying that it is only playing its role of ensuring that the informal sector fully adheres to the by-laws.
