Rough 'justice'

There are many things I love about Tanzania - many things that make me smile. Like the Happyness Hardware truck that I see most mornings and "Hello Mzungu" that comes with a beaming grin. I love the idiosyncratic spelling on official as well as unofficial notices and I love the cheerful positive attitude of most of the people I interact with every day.

But one thing that I do not like is the random application and misapplication of the 'law' by enforcement officials.

Most drivers here are used to being pulled over by the traffic police and asked for "chai" - money to buy themselves afternoon tea or a soda. Official business can happen faster if the "wheels are greased". When we were in Bukoba we came back from a weekend away to find many of the town's buildings were slated for "Bomoa" - demolition - for being too close to the road.  Buildings here in Arusha are also daubed with red crosses but demolition has not happened either here or there!

On Thursday afternoon I  witnessed randomly applied rough justice and was quite upset.  

On my regular walk home I often talk to a street trader who sets out socks, underwear, cheap jewellery and hair ornaments on a tarpaulin close to the footpath on Njiro Road.  I have bought small trinkets from him occasionally but usually I tell him "labda wiki kesho" - perhaps next week.  On Thursday, just as I approached his pitch, a truck pulled up and a dozen people, some in a military looking uniform, jumped out of the back and started rolling up his tarpaulins and removing his goods into the back of the truck. I stopped briefly but had to continue walking, around the melee and home, as AVI advice is to avoid such situations.  I felt that I wanted to help him but there was nothing to be gained by my getting involved.

I talked to a local friend about what had happened.  He told me this is normal - that the police raid illegal street traders a few times a year, confiscate their goods, demolish any stalls they have and the trader is fined. My friendly trader was illegal because he did not have an official permit or licence to run his business.  I saw next morning that the fruit stall where I buy my mangoes had also been demolished as the police had continued down Njiro Road.

The seeming unfairness of what happened upset me - my trader friend was trying to earn a living to provide for his family. Yes, he was trading illegally, but bureaucracy can be slow, cumbersome and impenetrable here so for micro-business people of little education it is not accessible. No, he was paying no taxes, and clearly he had paid no bribes!

I hope my street trader will return - and I won't wait until wiki kesho to do my shopping. I can feel more Christmas presents are needed - who fancies some beautiful jewellery and hair ornaments?