Women Hawkers in Kigali are accusing District Administration Security Support Organ (DASSO) of harassing them without even considering the children on their backs, throwing away or confiscating their goods which impacts their incomes and threaten their wellbeing.
Claudette Murerwa is one who has suffered in the hands of these law enforcement officers and says she opted to hawk bananas so that she can extra money to take her sick child for treatment but she was harassed and her goods confiscated.
“DASSO came and threw my products, when I was trying to tell him my problem, he pushed me and I fell down, my baby almost died,” Murerwa said.
Hawking is illegal in the city but most women have continuously engaged in the informal trade mainly in foods and fruits which puts them at loggerheads with the law enforcement.
“We have children to take care of, for example me I don’t have a husband, but I have to feed three children alone, so I can’t stop hawking and I don’t have capacity to work in markets.” Murerwa added.
Eric Ndatimana, a seller in Town known as trade village (‘quartier Commerciale’) says that there should be another way of eliminating this trade but not harassing mothers with babies.
“I have once seen a DASSO beating a hawker with a baby on her back. I felt pity of that child, and asked myself if that DASSO has a heart and I don’t know if the officials know it, because a baby is always innocent and their right must be respected.” Ndatimana said.
Ndatimana also sees them running in the street with babies in their backs as the first proof that those mothers don’t hawk for no reason.
“Selling with a baby in the back is the first poof that they have a lot of responsibilities. I think that they may show them what government has done so far to help them stop that trade, and help them to get capital to work in those markets but stop harassing them.” Ndatimana said.
Ignatienne Nyirarukundo, State minister in Ministry of Local Government in charge of social affairs, says that the problems of hawkers have reduced and accepts that they are some DASSO who harass mothers.
“It is true we have received various cases that mothers are mistreated by some DASSOs, but it is done by some DASSO with bad habits.” Affirms Nyirarukundo.
Nyirarukundo continues saying that the government is trying to reduce cases that affect children whose mothers are hawkers in order to reduce harassment of children done by DASSO and even those sent in transit centers; that they will be taught and be helped in another way.