TANGA: MORE than 1,700 traders at Mgandini Market in Tanga City have called on City Mayor Mustafa Selebos and the Tanga City Council to urgently fast-track the construction of new toilets to avert a looming public health crisis caused by poor sanitation and mounting waste.
The traders warned that deteriorating hygiene conditions at the busy market risk triggering disease outbreaks, urging authorities to act swiftly while also advancing long-term plans to construct a modern market.
In separate interviews, the traders said directives issued during a recent visit by CCM Central Committee member Ustaadh Rajab Abdulrahman must now be implemented without delay to safeguard both traders and the public.
During the visit, Abdulrahman instructed the Tanga City Council to restore cleanliness at Mgandini Market within seven days and immediately begin construction of new toilet facilities.
“It is unacceptable for a market of this size to lack basic services like toilets. The council must act swiftly,” he said, stressing the need to protect public health.
Responding to the concerns, Mayor Selebos said efforts are already underway, including inspection visits and improvements to parts of the market infrastructure.
He cited the construction of an internal road within the market and plans to build a new toilet facility at a cost of 32m/-.
However, traders painted a grim picture of worsening conditions, blaming an overflowing dumpsite where garbage has reportedly gone uncollected for more than a month.
Halfani Ismaili said sanitation has deteriorated significantly, with waste piling up and many toilets closed due to unhygienic conditions, forcing wastewater to spill into trading areas.
Rashid Mussa described the situation as dire, noting that only six functional latrines are shared by more than 1,000 people.
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“Honestly, the situation here is terrible. Waste has piled up at the dumpsite, but worse still are the toilets, they are too few and too dirty, forcing us to use nearby drains,” he said.
Zameya Kidevu said the crisis has been worsened by trucks dumping waste from other areas at the already overwhelmed site.
She said traders are now appealing directly to city authorities to prioritise the construction of clean and adequate toilets as an immediate solution, while expediting long-term plans to upgrade the market into a modern facility.
Despite ongoing efforts to promote cleanliness, she added, waste collection remains inconsistent, with council trucks failing to operate effectively.
Toilets fill up quickly and are frequently closed, leaving traders without safe facilities.
Motorcycle taxi operator Omari Wahabi Ramadhani said the situation worsens during the rainy season, when waste spreads onto access roads, making some areas impassable and posing safety risks.
Mgandini Market Secretary Shabani Mohamed Shaban acknowledged the severity of the situation, describing it as alarming, but said traders remain hopeful following the mayor’s intervention.
He recalled that during a recent visit by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the market was kept exceptionally clean, with regular waste collection, but conditions deteriorated soon after.
Shaban also claimed that some municipal officials have been reluctant to act, citing plans to rebuild the market as a reason to delay investment in current infrastructure.
“But the question remains: should traders continue to endure these conditions while waiting for a new market?” he said.
“We urge authorities to treat this as an emergency, build toilets now to save lives, even as plans for a modern market continue.”
Traders say the recent directive has renewed hope that both immediate and long-term solutions will finally be implemented, ending years of sanitation challenges at one of the city’s busiest markets.