BETEL nut vendors are again invading almost every corner of the city with their vending activities.
Some of them are now doing it openly, right in front of shops and bus stops in central Honiara.
The sale of betel nut is not illegal. But selling it along the main streets is.
The Honiara City Council has designated Kukum Market for betel nut vending.
They wanted the streets to be cleared of betel nut as part of efforts to keep the city clean.
That ban received wide public support.
We all know what betel nut could do to our streets and environment.
Where ever the so-called golden nut is sold, there’s bound to be dirt and red stain everywhere.
This is exactly what city council authorities are trying to avoid from our streets.
But in recent weeks, the vendors are back and openly doing it on the streets.
One obvious location was at the Point Cruz bus stop between Honiara Casino and Westpac Bank.
That place has since been turned into an open betel nut market.
But the dirt, stain, and filth are intolerable. It was simply unacceptable.
It looks as though we’ve condemn our city to nothing less than a dumpsite.
If Honiara city council law enforcers are not aware, they need to visit that place now.
The vendors in this particular area must be told to move to Kukum Market.
They must be told their action is not helpful in the effort to promote the image of Honiara as a nice clean place to live.
True, betel nut vendors rely on the money they earn to feed their families and pay for other basic needs.
But please do your activities in the right place. In Honiara, Kukum Market is that place.
As much as you struggled to earn an income from your sales, the Honiara City Council too is struggling to maintain the cleanliness of the city.
The council’s decision to ban the sale of betel nut along the main streets must be respected by all.
To Honiara City Council law enforcers, it’s time to get out of your office and monitor what’s going on at our streets.
Remind the betel nut vendors that it is illegal to sell their products on the streets.
Our laws must be respected and upheld if Honiara is to operate in an orderly fashion.
