LCC speaks out on illegal markets

Lusaka, April 9, 2013, ZANIS…..The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has maintained that the ‘Don’t Kubeka’ Market which lies under the Kamwala flyover bridge and the Matebeto market in Thorn park area are illegal.

LCC Public Relations Manager Chanda Makanta said the Local Authority is aware of the illegal trade at the two markets and advised traders not to dare the council.

Ms. Makanta said the Council has not failed to stop illegal trading in the City but merely wants to cooperate with traders and ensure that they are moved in a good manner.

She noted that the two markets are not conducive for trading as they do not have sanitary facilities and are not legally declared as market places.

She said the ‘don’t Kubeba’ Market is located on a piece of land which belongs to the Zambia Railways but the council is only concerned because it is being used for trading which is not supposed to be the case.

She said the Council has a number of vacant spaces in markets in almost all compounds where she said illegal traders can trade from instead of the illegal markets or on the streets.

Ms. Makanta further disclosed that the council has discovered that the increasing number of street vendors in the City is as a result of people who have deserted their markets in other provinces in preference for the streets in Lusaka.

She said a big number of vendors are not from Lusaka but other provinces and that they have turned the Lusaka City Bus Terminals as their residents with their kids which she said should not be the case.

She appealed to marketers who have deserted their markets countrywide to return and serve their communities instead of living in the station.

She observed that once all marketers return to their respective trading areas, Lusaka will be free from illegal traders and vendors.

The issue of illegal markets and street vending in Lusaka has been a long standing matter that has in the recent past seen contradictory statements but Government in its quest to accommodate all traders in the city had through the Ministry of Local Government and housing allocated some streets in town to street vendors for vending activities.