Allexer Namundjembo
More than three years after the Omuthiya Town Council began construction of a new open market in the 2022/23 financial year, the facility remains incomplete.
This has led to frustration among vendors and community leaders who expected improved trading conditions in the regional capital.
The modern open market was meant to provide a hygienic and formal space for informal traders who have long operated along the busy B1 road and other central areas of Omuthiya.
The council said the market would accommodate about 500 vendors and serve residents and travellers once operational.
Despite early assurances that the project would be completed quickly, work has stalled.
A visit by the Windhoek Observer last month found no sign of completion, with only phase one finished.
The town initially budgeted N$3 million for the second phase.
Vendors who spoke to the Windhoek Observer over the holidays said the structure shows little progress and lacks basic facilities needed for trading.
Many fear relocation to an unfinished site will harm their livelihoods.
Pinehas Tomas, a resident of Omuthiya since 2009, said the town is known for its trading history and warned that moving the market could damage the local economy.
“Everyone knows Omuthiya as a trading centre. If we move the current market to a new location, it will not only confuse customers, but it’ll also kill the town’s economy,” he said.
He said Omuthiya risks repeating what happened in Oshikango after its open market was relocated.
“Look what happened to Oshikango. They relocated the open market from Katwitwi to the new location, and everything turned upside down. If we handle this situation without any cautionary measures, it’ll follow suit,” Pinehas said.
He said the council should have renovated the existing market to preserve Omuthiya’s trading culture.
“They are the ones in charge. We can’t do anything about that,” he said.
Selma Sheya, a former market trader, said the current open market does not meet proper standards, including hygiene, but remains central to the town’s economy.
“Look at our town. It has been existing for so long without even a mall or an up-to-standard shopping venue,” she said.
She said councillors focused on development without considering the role open markets play in Omuthiya.
Late last year, the council ordered all street vendors to relocate to the new open market by the end of January or face penalties, fines and confiscation of goods.
Officials stated that formalising trading and improving hygiene and safety requires registration and stall allocation.
Vendors have rejected the move while the market remains incomplete. They say the site lacks access and infrastructure and is far from customer traffic, which could reduce daily sales.
They also asked the council to improve access roads, consider nearby transport hubs and ensure affordable stall fees before enforcing relocation.
Former Omuthiya mayor Johannes Ndeutepo previously defended efforts to formalise trading, saying funding and logistical constraints slowed progress.
At that time he said the council does not own the old market site and vendors there did not pay fees, limiting enforcement and maintenance.
Another former mayor, Beatha Nashongo, said the council aimed to centralise and modernise trading to boost local commerce, adding that development projects require coordinated support from government and stakeholders.
As relocation deadlines approach, residents and traders are calling on the current council leadership to release a clear timeline for completion and explain how the project will be finished.
Attempts to obtain comment from Omuthiya chief executive Martin Shuuya were unsuccessful after he indicated he was not in the office on Monday.
He referred the Windhoek Observer to the council’s acting spokesperson, Peit Anderki, who said he would respond on Tuesday but did not.
