Commerce informel : émeute à Mbeya -12 novembre 2011

Fracas as small traders close Tanzam highway

ippmedia.com

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

12th November 2011

Fracas erupted in Mbeya City yesterday as the small traders commonly known as ‘Machingas’ closed the Tanzam highway at Mwanjelwa protesting against eviction from the area.

The situation however caused anti-riot police to intervene using tear gas canisters to disperse them.

The closure of the highway was preceded by a morning chaos after the city militia arrived at the scene and tried to arrest some of the small traders who had displayed merchandise on service roads, blocking the passersby.

Investigation by this paper revealed that some youths were being supported by the Machingas to block the highway using big stones and burning tyres as the police unsuccessfully tried to unblock the way.

The situation became worse after the police used tear gas which increased anger on the small traders who responded by hurling stones back to them, causing injuries to some people. Those wounded were later rushed to hospital.

From Mwanjelwa the mayhem spread to other areas in the city as police continued to fire more tear gas canisters from Mafiati area to Uyole suburbs.

At Uyole the rioters surrounded a police station with the intention of setting it on fire but the police arrived early and dispersed them.

After the dispersion they proceeded to a nearby filling station where others started pumping out fuel from the station and from the vehicles packed in the area.

Mbeya Regional Commissioner Abbas Kandoro who was on an official tour to Mbozi District was forced to postpone his visit and convene an emergency security and defence committee meeting to discuss the matter.

The fracas forced the Mbeya regional commissioner, Abbas Kandoro who was in a familarisation tour in Mbozi district canceled his trip and went back to Mbeya for a regional defence and security emergence committee to discuss the matter.

Small traders who spoke to this paper yesterday said they are against the government move to evict them from the business area before it allocates an alternative place for them.

Abel Nyondo, one of the victims, said removing the small traders was a nuisance because they have been operating in the areas for many years without ‘disturbance’.

The major problem, he said, is that most youths who run their businesses here support Mbeya Urban Member of Parliament Joseph Mbilinyi, who is also a member of the opposition party, Chadema.

« The major issue here is that we have shown support to our legislator and not the reason given by the government that we are distorting the environment, » Nyondo said.

He said the dispute will not end until when their MP arrives in the area.

“He recently arrived here and held a meeting with us and told us that we should continue to operate our businesses until when the Mbeya City Council provides us another places for us,” he said. Neema Donald, another victim said she is not ready to leave the area because Mwanjelwa is the only place she is used to.

When contacted through the phone from Dodoma where he is attending the ongoing parliament, Mbeya Urban MP, Mbilinyi said he had received reports on the fracas and would leave for the constituency soon.

“I met Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda and Minister in the Premier’s office Regional Administration and Local Government Aggrey Mwanri and told them that the Machingas conflict in Mbeya city is political. I have therefore decided to leave for the constituency to help solve the problem,” he said.

He said the dispute has nothing to do with eviction, but it is politically motivated because majority of the residents support Chadema.

He said Pinda told him (Mbilinyi) to be calm as the government was going discuss the matter and give him a good answer yesterday evening.

“If the PM doesn’t give me a reasonable answer, I will leave for Mbeya tomorrow (today) to meet my voters,” he said. Read more...