WINDHOEK — Vendors at the Okahandja woodcarvers craft market are pushing back against a municipal decision to move them to a proposed location along the recently constructed Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway road.
According to a new release by the Namibian Press Agency, group leader Petrus Ndumba stated that they have been conducting business at the current site since 1991. The location has garnered them recognition as a woodcraft landmark in the town that draws tourists. Ndumba argued that relocation would negatively impact their established business.
Ndumba revealed that the market has 150 registered vendors operating in temporary structures on government-owned land. These vendors, under the umbrella of Namibia Woodcarvers CC, have sent multiple letters to the municipality requesting either to lease or purchase the land for the construction of a permanent open-air craft market. “We have been staying here for 30 years now, and the tourists know the market at this site,” Ndumba emphasized.
Another vendor, Gideon Kaarus, who has been operating at the site since 1996, concurred with Ndumba. Kaarus suggested that the municipality should construct a dedicated craft market with proper amenities at the current location instead of relocating them.
In an interview, Okahandja Municipality Chief Executive Officer Alphons Tjitombo confirmed discussions about relocating the vendors. One of the factors prompting this move is the new dual carriageway, along with the provision of ablution facilities. Tjitombo explained that the area where the vendors currently operate has not been developed or equipped with services, making it unsuitable for permanent structures.
A letter dated May 15, 2023, from Tjitombo in response to Namibia Woodcarvers CC, stated that the application to lease or purchase the land had been declined. The municipality reasoned that the site’s proximity to the Okakango river made it susceptible to flooding. It also highlighted security risks to the nearby Military College and a fire risk to the adjacent Shell Service Station.