The first of May every year is celebrated to pay tribute to workers, and Burundi Labor Day celebration will be done on Monday May 2nd according to the government’s communique.
With the celebrations expected to be marked with marching and showcasing different products produced in the country by companies and individuals, this year’s celebration has mixed reactions after the recent government’s move to ban street vendors and limiting tricycles and motorcycles from accessing the city center.
The street vendors who mainly sell fruits and vegetables in the city center expressed their dissatisfaction about being prohibited to carry out their daily business.
“We can’t talk about Labor Day yet our business were badly affected and we can’t make both ends meet,” said a mother of seven and tomato street vendor.
“We have been prohibited to engage our businesses in the city center and we have a lot of financial obligations,” she added.
A tricycle driver confessed that the limitation of their access to some of the areas in Bujumbura city center has negatively impacted the transport business and calling on the government to rescind the decision.
“The labor day does not come at the right time for us as we are struggling financially. We would be pleased to celebrate this Labor Day but we have nothing to be proud of,” deplored a father of 3 children and a tricycle driver.
“We are looking forward to the government’s word on this day. We at least want the latter to promise us that they are soon lifting this decision which is heavy on our shoulders” added the tricycle driver.
This comes after the minister of internal affairs banned motorcycles, tricycles and bicycles to enter the city center and the Mayor of Bujumbura announced to the street vendors to have put to an end their activities by the end of March 2022.
The government said that there had been an increased number of road accidents in Bujumbura caused mainly by motorcycles, bicycles and tricycles used as a public means of transport in the recent past.
Since the ban was imposed, Gitega says that there have been a significant reduction of the number of accidents in Bujumbura and the measure was meant to insure there is a limited number of accidents in the city.