Tanzania Police Fire Teargas To Disperse Traders

By Kizito Makoye

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AA)— Police in Tanzania on Monday fired teargas to disperse hundreds of market traders who marched in the port-city of Dar es Salaam to pressure the government to allow them to get on with business on the market site gutted by fire.

The rowdy traders who marched to the office of the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner, Amos Makalla, caused huge disruption on traffic after putting blockades on major highways.

The traders, who chanted Swahili slogan "Tunataka soko letu," meaning "we want our market" gathered outside the office of the regional commissioner a day after a fierce inferno reduced their make-shift stalls to ashes causing huge losses.

Makalla formed a commission of inquiry to investigate the cause of the fire and submit a report in 14 days, and banned any activities at the site of fire accident. Speaking during the incident some traders said they took to the streets because they are unhappy by the government's decision to ban them from erecting new stalls in the razed site.

"We cannot stand idly by waiting for them to decide on our future," said Silvanus Mwakipesile, a trader at Mchikichini market.

According to him, Makalla had promised to visit the razed market and provide a guideline on the way forward but the police invaded the area around dawn and destroyed some stalls some traders were erecting on the site.

"We cannot be idle for 14 days, let them allow us to go on with our businesses while waiting for the report," said Saida Mohamed, another trader.

Earlier, Ng'wilabuzu Ludigija, a district commissioner for Ilala, pleaded with the traders to wait for the inquiry to complete its work instead of venting off their frustration in a disorderly way.

Meanwhile, the government bowed to the traders' pressure, and has allowed them to identify their areas of business while waiting for the probe report.

The decision has been reached between the traders and city authorities during a meeting with Ludigija earlier today.

The spokesperson of the traders, Ismail Feisal, said the government has allowed them to identify business areas effectively today.

"The government has allowed us to identify our areas of business while the committee formed continues with its investigations," Feisal told the Anadolu Agency. -