23 Feb 2025

The informal sector has been advised to work well with city council to ensure  smooth running their of businesses. 

Speaking during a meeting at Francistown bus rank on Saturday, assistant minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ignatius Moswaane encouraged the informal sector to abide to council laws and those of the country. 

Mr Moswaane urged them to desist from engaging in illegal activities, such as selling illegal substances and cosmetics. He also encouraged law enforcers to apprehend those involved in engaging in such acts. 

He further advised businesses  to stop renting out council spaces to others as it was prohibited according to the council bye-laws. Mr Moswaane reminded them that permanent structures within council spaces  were not allowed. 

He advised those who sold food to desist from using gas stoves to avoid catastrophic accidents from occurring. Mr Moswaane said  their mission as government was to build markets for the informal sector to reduce congestion of vendors within the city.  

He said  there were people who had been in the informal sector for a long time and encouraged them to level up, adding that one should not be in the informal sector for a long time. 

"One should not be in the informal sector for too long but should graduate to the formal sector," he said. 

Mr Moswaane encouraged those in the informal sector to seek tenders from council offices and to also register with Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA). He encouraged the informal sector to form cooperative societies, as doing so would  enable them to grow and penetrate larger markets. 

A vendor at the Francistown bus rank, Mr Mothusi Maphane said illegal immigrants had penetrated their market and pleaded with  government to take action. 

Mr Maphane also pleaded with the council to desist from locking bus rank toilets as often people were forced to relieve themselves anywhere, which then pollutes the environment. ENDS