LAST LAUGH
Hawkers kicked out as Gaborone Hotel owners get their land back
Gaborone Hotel (GH) owners are happy that the standoff between them and street vendors who encroached the hotel’s land on the eastern and western side of the hotel have decided to finally listen, well, at least for now.
This is because since installing a fence two weeks ago around the open spaces that vendors have been using as selling points on the eastern side of the hotel, vendors did not angrily pull out the fence like they did two years ago.
“Since we erected it, no one has tried to take it out, we are at peace now and happy,” said GH General Manager Kenneth Setlhong this week. The fight for the land between street vendors and the hotel has been ongoing for many years. It all started with the hotel telling the sellers that they wish to expand business for better profits. But the street vendors would not have it! They refused to vacate and dared the hotel owners to forcefully evict them. Realizing that the street vendors will not bend, the hotel sought court intervention and in June 2020, an order was issued confirming that respondents in the case, hawkers and street vendors, were illegally occupying a portion of the applicant’s premises. The respondents were ordered by Judge Gabriel Komboni to vacate the space and desist from trading from the said space. Gaborone Hotel was permitted to remove any structures, shelters, tables and chairs they find at the space. The order was suspended for a period of three months to enable all trading at the space in issue to make own arrangements to vacate the Applicant’s property amicably. But hawkers remained unbothered at the said space, two years later. In fact, numbers even increased with hawkers daring anyone to jump.
Setlhong explained that they wholly own the eastern side portion and where the hotel is sitting. The entire parking space on the western side belongs to council and they have
been leasing it to them for more than eight years. Trying hard not to fight the street vendors, GH owners wrote several letters to Gaborone City Council seeking help. But what they got in return was a letter from council warning them (GH) that their contract with council will be terminated if they do not kick out street vendors operating from the hotel western side parking lot. Council made it clear to GH management that if they do not kick out the street vendors, council, which is leasing the piece of land to GH, will not hesitate to cancel the lease agreement as a corrective measure. Part of the document read, “The only visible structures on the leased premises are some make shift structures belonging to some unknown individuals carrying out some business activities. This is a clear derogation from what the property was leased out for and a breach of contracted obligation on the part of Gaborone Hotel.” Realizing that there is no end to their worries, GH owners went back to court last year and a writ of ejectment was issued. The warrant was issued in September 2021 and after trying not to be very forceful on the vendors, the hotel acted on the issued warrant only this year.
“They brought us a lawyer and after looking at all the papers we have, it was explained to them that they are actually in the wrong. We trust they finally understood that we were not trying to be impossible,” said Setlhong. He added that it is not like they want to send the street vendors into poverty, what they actually want to do is construct nicely designed structures which they will be leased to anyone willing to continue their business of selling. The good thing about the envisioned developments is that tables and makeshift structures found near the hotel will be a thing of the past. The hotel’s vision is without doubt in line with what the new city mayor Austin Abraham wants. He recently told The Midweek Sun that they will be cleaning up the city, makeshift selling points will be a thing of the past soon. “Funds permitting, we wish to have nicely constructed points of selling which street vendors will lease at a fee. We will also be monitoring numbers to limit overcrowding and dirtying the city,” he had said, adding that the way street vendors are currently carrying out their business is not desirable.