Members of parliament at loggerheads on the urgent matter of vandalism of the street vendors property which was destroyed by the Roads Directorate along the Seputana road on Wednesday.

A Member of Parliament (MP) for Hloehloeng Constituency Mr. Katleho Mabeleng moved an urgent motion for the House to debate the urgent matter regarding the vandalism of the street vendors’ property.

He said like in any country where unemployment rate is high, Lesotho is not an exemption hence many Basotho are seen in the streets making a living by selling various items.

Mr. Mabeleng said these street vendors, estimated around 200 out of the total of 7000 in the Maseru city, were forcibly removed from the street starting at the Main Traffic Circle along the Moshoeshoe road using yellow plant machinery.

He said the government through the Roads Directorate should have used a different approach rather than mercilessly destroying the street vendor’s stock.

HeSome of the street vendors had just purchased their stock worth M15 000 or more which was destroyed within hours,” he lamented. Mr. Mabeleng said much as he is not against the Government’s plan to upgrade the road which had been occupied by the street vendors, but a different approach should have been used to remove them and relocate them to another place.

He believed that some of them were sole bread winners whose families depended on what they collected daily to put some on the table to head. He also said Some of their children will drop out of school since their parents will not be able to pay their school fees while others will be kicked out of their rented houses since they are no longer able to pay rent.

He therefore appealed to the government to do something to assist those affected street vendors in order to save their lives. A Member of Parliament for Likotsi Ms. Itumeleng Rants’o said while she understands that the plight of the street vendors was at stake, they should have complied with the Roads Directorate’s notice to vacate the place since they were occupying the roads reserve.

She insisted that the Government is planning to upgrade the Seputana Road to solve the challenge of the poor roads network in Maseru.

Ms. Rants’o who confessed to having been a street vendor before being elected as a Member of Parliament, she felt for the street vendors saying she was once removed at Ha Thetsane where her shack was among those destroyed by the previous government for similar purposes of development. The debate over the motion is on-going.