Go 2 May 2019

Page 4 GO & EXPRESS
GOT A NEWS STORY? Call our news desk on (043) 702-2125. Find us on
May 2, 2019
GO! IN KING
E-mail: goexpress@tisoblackstar.co.za
Stands uplift traders’ lives
HAND OVER: BCM mayor Xola Pakati, left, and finance MEC Lubabalo Mabuyane cut the ribbon at the
unveiling of 28 new hawker stands in Bhisho
Picture: SUPPLIED
MATTHEW FIELD
Hawkers in Bhisho received a welcome gift last
week when finance MEC Lubabalo Mabuyane and
Buffalo City mayor Xola Pakati visited the area to
deliver 28 newly-constructed vender stands.
The stands have lockable doors, lockable saving
counters, and provide a safe space to cook and
store food.
Construction began after an inspection by
Mabuyane in 2018, where he found hawkers
trading from dilapidated stands or out in the open.
Traders raised various concerns with the MEC,
most notably having to endure inclement weather
due to the lack of adequate facilities.
“It is very important for the government to focus
on microeconomics to stimulate economic growth.
‘It is through supporting these small businesses
that our government will be able to change the
lives of ordinary South Africans.
“For us, growing our country starts with
investing in providing such support to small
businesses,” Mabuyane said.
Pakati said the construction of hawker stands
was high on the municipal agenda and that BCM
intended to roll out more in King William’s Town
and Mdantsane.
“We took a collaborative initiative to rebuild
these stalls to make sure that we treat our people
with respect and also bring back their dignity.
“People are earning a living out of the work that
they do here,” he said.
Nogcinile Simakade, one of the traders who
received a new vending stall, said they were
g r at e f u l for the new facilities.
“Many leaders have been here before and made
promises to no benefit.
“It is the first time that someone comes once
within no time and we see this remarkable
change,” Simakade said.
Her sentiments were shared by fellow trader
Celiwe Baleni.
“This is a huge delivery for us. We now feel safe
and cared for. Our situation before was painful and
undeserving of a human life,” Baleni said.
“The rain would come in and make us wet while
we worked. It was even worse when there was
wind, it would just be impossible to work as wind
would just blow everything away.
“In winter we had to put on plastic bags and
paper to cover ourselves from the cold.”
ON THE MARCH: The month-old
Socialist Revolutionary Workers'
Party (SRWP) held a rally in King
William's Town recently. As one of the
many new parties to register for this
year's national elections, the SRWP
has been pushing hard to increase
membership Picture: FACEBOOK
Cold front is on the way
Don’t let the initial heat wave fool
you, a cold front is on the way.
Thursday starts off the weekend on
a hot note with a scorching maximum
temperature of 30°C. Skies will be
partially cloudy with a North-East
wind of 11km/h.
On Friday, the front hits and sees
the temperature drop down to 22°C.
The front will bring some rain in the
afternoon and a switch in wind to the
South although the speed remains
11km/h.
Temperatures drop even further on
Saturday down to 18°C but the rain
seems to be over, leaving just an
overcast sky. Wind speed increases
to 22km/h and will now be blowing
in from the South-West.
Things remain relatively stable on
Sunday and not much change in
conditions is expected. Maximum
temperature is still 18°C, skies are
still overcast, and the wind is still
22km/h. The only change is wind
direction which is now North-East.