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Harassed vendors look to Kikwete for protection
2006-01-01 09:52:42
By Simon Kivamwo
What we really expect from Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the newly elected President, is to see him bring to an end the endless and unjust harassment that we used to experience from marauding city militia, popularly known as mgambo wa jiji or the askaris, so says Joel Dyandise (29).
Dyandise made the appeal on Thursday when he talked to this columnist. He was in the company of two colleagues, vendors like himself, namely Gervasson Patrick (30) and Miraji Bakari (29).
’’We expect President Kikwete and his team to end this mess,’’ remarked Dyandise, a mobile fruit vendor, originating from Kasulu District, Kigoma region and currently, a resident of Temeke Azimio.
Engaging themselves in selling a variety of fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws, and oranges depending on the season the vendors, most of whom are aged between 20 to 24, believe that had without the harassment of the city askaris, their business would have been much more profitable.
For a period, they say, they have experienced relative calm, probably because of the holiday season and, of course the political campaigns that have now been concluded with a new government already in place.
The vendors say that they were paying 100/- daily as garbage tax, and they totally failed to understand why they should be constantly harassed by the askaris.
’’You know what they do?,’’ he pauses before he continues, ”they may come to arrest you by surprise, grabbing your bicycle and taking the container (basket) laden with all your commodities to the court.
Upon reaching there, you are charged with offences associated with loitering . As a punishment, you will be asked to pay a fine of up to 10,000/-.
The vendors say that had it not been for the endless ’’disturbances’’ inflicted on them, their ventures were profit making. ’’At least we have been able to relax for a time ,’’ says Miraji, as he recalls his brand new Phoenix bicycle worth 85,000/- which was confiscated by the marauding city askaris in one of their raids five months ago.
’’I had just started work again after my honeymoon when I encountered the wrath of the city askaris,’’ he recalls, ’’They arrested me by surprise as I was attending to a customer along Samora Avenue by grabbing my bicycle and a full basket of bananas worth 22,000/-.’’ That means that working capital of more than 107,000/- was seized illegally by an employee of the city council,” he narrates.
Miraji goes on to say:’’ Worse still, I was just returning to work from my honeymoon, and hence was unable to pay the fine since I was broke. ’’
’’ To date, ’’he adds,’’ I have not been able to recover my property. The bananas are long gone, rotted away into garbage, or eaten by the askaris, but I am still concerned about my bicycle.
Selling fruit from a bicycle enables vendors/goods to follow customers anywhere, especially in the city centre. It is different to the tradition whereby customers had to follow the goods/vendors.
’’We are finding this style more useful than staying at one point waiting for customers,’’ says Gervasson, another member of the group.
However, he says, this style brinhgs its own problems, especially at the beginning. Since the vendor has to ride through the congested streets of the city centre, it sometimes takes him a month or so in order to learn his way about .
’’At the beginning it is difficult since, apart from being unfamiliar with the city’s streets, we also face the risks of being knocked down by motor cars or motor cycles.’’
Not only that, Gervasson adds, but also, being strangers, we get bogus customers. He narrates that the bogus customers pick any number of fruits from the vendor and pretend that he should follow them to collect the money, only to find that they are conmen.
Starting business is always difficult, says Gervasson, who is married with two children. But, as the days go by , you become used to it and finally find yourself enjoying yourself.
He says most of his compatriots are youths from Kigoma Region, who opted to come to Dar es Salaam after their traditional means of earning a living become burdensome. ’’Traditionally, we have been earning our living through farming or fishing.
However, both sources are no longer yielding good results. That is why most of us have come to the city. And, frankly, the difference is obvious,’’ he says.
To start up in the fruit vending business, one needs to have a capital of about only 60,000/- for purchasing both the second hand bicycle and first day’s goods , according to Gervasson.
The business may generate up to 6,000/- profit per day, he says.
For comments, suggestions or if you are an entrepreneur contact the writer at: kivamwo@yahoo.com or Tel:0741 300219
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