As the proud host of His Majesty King Mswati lll’s 56th Birthday celebration, it is expected that the town will welcome thousands of people from all over the country and as far as the international level. On such instances, business owners envision an opportunity to generate profit while also servicing the needs and wants of consumers. An opportunity to register for a stall space was opened where local and external vendors were invited to register for a stall, after which the Board registered over 50 street vendors.
On Monday, 15 April 2024, the Board in collaboration with the Ministry of Health department invited all registered vendors to a training session where they were sensitized on Public Health issues, covering food hygiene and food handling. The mandate of the Board is to promote public health and safety within the urban spaces, and as such, this training was initiated to sensitize all registered street vendors on the guidelines they are expected to observe and adhere to during the celebration.
Some of the key guidelines that were covered include the following:
- Street vendors are to wear personal protective clothing such as aprons when serving consumers on the day.
- Storage and handling of food items, making sure it does not attract bacteria.
- Cleanliness of premises at which the food is prepared and displayed at for hygiene purposes.
- Cleanliness of supplier to consumer to maintain personal hygiene standards and prevent spreading diseases.
- Other standard hygiene requirements that include washing hands, after visiting the bathroom or outside premises from your kitchen amongst others.
The vendors were each given a copy of all the Food Safety and Handling to maintain a safe environment for visitors that will wish to consume the local food.
The local vendors were then engaged on a draw where they hand-picked numbers from 1-60 to fairly determined where each vendor will be allocated on the day.
The CEO Madlopha David advised the vendors to treat the guests that will come to visit Mankayane will all the respect, love and provide them with the best service they can get. The CEO emphasized that the way the guests will be treated will determine whether or not they will return to streets of Mankayane town.
The vendors’ registration did not however conclude the total vendors that will be permitted to sell, but it was an activity set to guide the demarcation of spaces as provided by architects, giving priority to registered vendors.
The Board encourages the public and guests to support the small businesses during the day and assures that all food items will meet the health standard following the successful training of the vendors on health regulations and guidelines.