Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi is adamant that new laws won’t help solve problems created by child street vendors.
“We will not be a communist country. We need to use our brains here,” Tuilaepa said.
He was responding to a report on Loop Samoa where police had indicated hope for new laws to help address children selling food and other items and roaming on the streets of Apia late at night.
In the last month, footage emerged of some children under 18 years of age attacking a man who was sleeping on the footpath.
There was also footage of some children fighting in front of a plaza in downtown Apia in broad daylight.
Police spokesperson Su’a Le Mamea Tiumalu says current laws don’t give police powers to take child vendors off the streets late at night.
Many times the children are unsupervised and move around in groups.
Others have their parents in the vicinity as they sell food parcels and other items to people late at night.
“That’s a stupid idea. If we make a law that would stop people from going out at night, then we might as well turn into a communist country. Where even going to the toilet you would need permission and that’s not what we are,” he added.
“I just got off the phone with the Police and they said they had nothing reported to them. So there’s no case,” said Tuilaepa.
Initially, Tuilaepa criticized the media for reporting on the incidents saying they could have been fabricated.
However, when explained that the video footage were broadcast, Tuilaepa then said it was everyone’s responsibility to address the problem and not just the government making new laws.
“If you see something like that happening go help. Not take a video, that’s irresponsible. Stop relying on the government to come and do everything, our children is everyone’s responsibility,” he added.
Having understood that the incidents did take place, the Prime Minister also said they should wait for police to complete investigations.