BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
A woman street seller, Mary Wale who has been trading betel nuts for almost a decade in the streets of Honiara has continued to defy the city council by-laws and unfair policing just to support the survival of her children.
Mary is one of a handful of Street sellers (vendors) who have survived the art of street trading in the country’s strong informal sector.
The 50-year-old mother from Malaita province started her working life as a street seller on the streets of Honiara since her husband passed away in 2004 until now, selling betel nut and tobacco products (cigarettes). At night the mother of five would count up her day takings to buy food and other basics for her family.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, my daily earnings per day is from $800 to $1000, however, now that the pandemic is over, my daily takings now only reach $200 to $300.
“Everything I earn is for the food on the table and supporting my son and daughter attending tertiary education at the moment,” Mary told Solomon Women.
Although she sees herself as a troublemaker (despite being faced with previous arrests and physical harassment from Honiara City Council’s law enforcement officers), breaking the Honiara City Council’s Hawker’s Ordinance, she continues to defy all odds by taking risks.
The Hawkers Ordinance was designed and passed on the 22, February 1965 to regulate hawking in Honiara City. This means that no person shall hawk within the City Boundary or shall not entitle the licensee to sell goods in any premises or building occupied permanently or temporarily by them.
However, as a street vendor and a mother, my greatest fear is the City Council law enforcement officers and I have a lot of reasons to justify their cruel actions, she told Solomon Women.
“My concern is about the City law enforcement officers. They treat us like animals or like we are not from this country. They often chased, swore, confiscate our market items and sometimes arrest us.
“Sometimes they ask money from us or smoke and betel nuts. On a few occasions, they used private vehicles without wearing their uniforms and ask for money.
“So we stay alert every day. It’s the male law enforcement officers who are often so cruel to us.
“I ended up in the police station at different times for selling betel nuts and smoke on the street, but it’s how I make a living. Sometimes they approached us when they are under the influence of liquor …demanding us to give them what they want,” Mary allegedly told Solomon Women with tears.
The streets of Honiara are daily patrolled and monitored by the Honiara City Council Law Enforcement Officers. Honiara City Council City Lord Mayor Eddie Siapu says street market vendors are supposed to listen after one or two warnings from his officers.
The City Mayor also condemned the alleged actions taken up by his officers against street vendors.
“I believe the City law enforcement officers are tired of reminding our people of that illegal activity, selling of betel nut and smoke on the streets, however, it is also wrong for our officers not to wear the uniform, especially under the influence of alcohol and harass the street vendors. These actions are illegal,” Siapu said.
He later warned Honiara residents, especially the street vendors to listen and refrain from practicing the illegal sales of betel nuts and roll cigarettes on the streets of Honiara and also to resort to selling the right things at the right market venues provided by the City Council.
“Whilst we sympathized with people facing financial difficulties, people too must understand that we lived in a city that has its laws and ordinances,’’ Siapu said.
The City Mayor said that the Honiara City Council and together with its stakeholders are working to resolve the issue of establishing a rightful venue for the betel and smoke vendors.
“We are now working on Gegema Land at the Marble street community in the outskirts of Central Honiara to convert it into a Betel nut market. We try to get all Betel nut vendors down there.
“No fees are received from these illegal markets and it is our responsibility to clean up our City.
“However, things won’t happen overnight but it takes time.
“It is hard to address issues overnight. Every issue happening in Honiara cannot be solved as easily as expected. We need manpower, and money to drive these things, therefore, we have to be patient and cooperate,’’ he said.
