“Leave us alone”: ‘right to the city’ of street vendors along Main North 1 Road, Maseru, Lesotho

Abstract

This article explores the lived daily experiences of street vendors operating along the Main North 1 Road in the CBD of Maseru, Lesotho. This exploration considers how street vendors access and negotiate a claim for the right to the street. The challenges confronting these vendors in their daily hustling, including COVID-19 restrictions, are also examined. A narrative inquiry research design informs this article with data collected from interviews with purposively selected street vendors from Maseru. This primary data was triangulated with document analysis to increase the validity of the findings. The findings highlight strategies employed by vendors in Maseru that include integrating with the formal enterprises, diversifying their trades, resisting and frustrating certain decisions by the local authorities, and contributing to urban blight. A framework for interrogating and understanding street vending and its nuances is postulated based on the findings from Maseru. The article strongly appeals to the authorities to find more benign ways of integrating street vending into the production of cities.

Street Trading and Urban Distortion: Rethinking Impacts and Management Approaches from Urban Planners’ Perspective in Enugu City, Nigeria

“…However, street trading also presents various challenges. Matamanda, Kalaoane, and Chakwizira (2023) note the spatial dynamics of informal trading, indicating a mix of resilience and opposition to formal retail stakeholders. Issues include competition with formal shops, the untidiness of trading spaces, and contributions to traffic congestion and obstruction, particularly when situated near road junctions or on major avenues (Bogoro, 2016).…”

“…Street traders themselves face several operational challenges. The formal economy's failure to recognize the value of street trading leads to tensions and conflicts in many African cities, particularly regarding permit issuance, taxation, and operational conditions (Bandauko & Mandisvika, 2015;Matamanda & Chinozvina, 2020;Resnick, 2020;Matamanda et al, 2023). The Bellagio Declaration identifies six common global problems faced by street traders: lack of legal status and the right to vend, inadequate space or poor location, restrictive licensing, high regulatory costs, harassment including bribes and evictions, lack of services and infrastructure, and insufficient representation or voice (Mitullah, 2004).…”