Makamba : threat of uncleanness related diseases at the main market

Fruit sellers at the Makamba market (south of the country) say they fear contracting diseases linked to unsanitary conditions, just like their customers. The garbage dump of this market next to the fruit stalls is not evacuated in time and people come to relieve themselves there, which causes a pile of waste and a nauseating smell.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

According to fruit sellers at the market in the town center of Makamba province, uncleannes related diseases could attack them and their customers if nothing is done.

“We are exposed to all kinds of unleanness relaed diseases. We do our businesses next to the garbage dump,” lament women selling ripe bananas and avocados.

According to these women, not only is the garbage not evacuated on time, but merchants and passers-by relieve themselves there.

“We, our children and our customers are exposed to uncleanness related diseases, but also to respiratory diseases following this garbage. Some merchants come to relieve themselves in this dump which gives off a nauseating smell, while we stay there from morning to night as part of our businesses”, report traders, some with their children on their backs.

However, these women say they paid an annual tax of 10,000 Burundi francs, in addition to the daily tax of 500 francs, reserved for the market, which, for them, should guarantee them to work in good conditions.

They accuse market managers of having chased them out of this central market to place them at the market in the Nyaburumba neighborhood.

In this market, they deplore that in addition to the lack of hygiene, they have difficulty finding customers. They ask to be relocated.

“We live from this trade on a daily basis to feed our families, let us carry out our trades in peace. Let the market administration give us another place next to this market since we sell better there thanks to a high frequency of customers”, angrily shout some traders.

Managers of technical services of the market indicate that “the place in which these mothers carry out their trades was not intended for trade”.

They explain that “they were transferred to the new Nyaburumba market but they refused to stay there”.

However, they advise them to report each time that the garbage overflows in this dump and to denounce anyone who relieves themselves there so that they are punished in accordance with the law.

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Female vendors display fruits not far from a dump in the Nyaburumba neighborhood in the town center of Makamba, August 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)