Maseru city was a scene of pandemonium on Wednesday morning as rioting street vendors engaged in running battles with police.
The vendors were protesting at what they called ‘government’s failure to make good on its promise to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 induced restrictions’ on the informal sector.
With practically all vendor stalls in the major roads of the city closed down, the vendors went on the rampage as they forced foreign-owned shops to shut down.
Those who spoke to theReporter said they did not take kindly to Asian businesses making money while Basotho traders starved.
However, other vendors slammed ‘criminal elements’ for hijacking their cause, as closing down Chinese-owned shops was not part of the agenda.
