Kariakoo Market closed indefinitely
Daily News; Wednesday,January 16, 2008 @00:01
THE Kariakoo Market, Dar es Salaam’s major trading centre, has been closed indefinitely. This follows the fracas on Monday when petty traders who were conducting business on the pavements of the market’s premises for years were evicted. Police had to fire on the air and use tear gas to quell the riotous crowds.
The ‘Daily News’ team saw the two main entrance gates to the main market building closed as hundreds of regular traders and customers gathered outside, while City askari and the militia stood on guard.
The closure has inconvenienced thousands of people who depend on the market for their various food and other needs. It is estimated that the market serves the whole population of Dar es Salaam, which is approaching four million.
The Chairman of Kariakoo Petty Traders Association, Mr Hija Nzome, said Monday’s fracas damaged food and other items valued at 40m/-. Mr Nzome added that some tents and ionic tables valued at more than 225m/- were also destroyed.
He noted that there were 150 tents valued at 150m/- and 150 pieces of metallic ware used for display purposes valued at 75m/-. Acccording to him, the eviction has affected some 1,848 petty traders who are currently struggling to find other places to carry out their businesses.
He said they were still assessing the loss incurred for not being able to sell anything for two days. He explained that a trader collects between 10,000/- and 25,000/- per day. The evicted traders complained to the ‘Daily News’ that the exercise was unfair and has impacted negatively on their lives.
One such trader, Ms Mwajuma Abdallah, said that she used to get 20,000/- per day and that she took a 200,000/- loan from Pride Tanzania. She added that she couldn’t afford to pay back the money since she was divorced and she is responsible of taking care of her three children who are in primary school.
The Ilala Municipal Director, Mr John Lubuva, informed the ‘Daily News’ that the market would remain closed until all unauthorized traders are removed. He added that they cannot go on with the eviction and cleanliness of the area while the market is open.
The present Kariakoo Market was built in 1974. The building offers three layers of market area and forms the centre of the Kariakoo market, which is spread out in the neighborhood. The building is perfectly adapted to its function, but also to its environment.
It provides for the necessary air circulation and the roof exists of a series of gigantic funnels to harvest the rain, to be stored in underground collection tanks. It was by then the second largest market in Africa after Accra market in Ghana.
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