Mon, 01 Jan 2018 10:39:38 +0000
Dear Editor,
Kindly allow me to say something about street vending in our country which is a true nuisance.
I strongly feel that time has come for our government to completely ban street vending because it is the source of many water borne diseases including cholera which is currently killing people in Lusaka.
After what the defence personnel are doing in Lusaka’s CBD, I think government should forever keep out these people from streets like other countries have done.
It is a fact that these people have no toilet facilities in streets to answer calls of nature resulting in them using plastics containers and used Chibuku packets to relieve themselves.
This they throw anywhere and in the process they grow cholera germs, outing people’s lives in great danger
Sometimes it is important to be cruel in order to be kind. What is needed now is a serious education campaign to make people see the dangers of street vending.
It is for their own good because after all they are the first casualties each time there is cholera outbreak.
Apart from that street vending also attracts criminals such as pickpockets and many others.
In a nutshell, there are more disadvantages than advantages to street vending especially when we have councils which have lamentably failed to manage waste.
It does not make any sense for some our people to carry their mangoes all the way from Zingalume to come and sell them in Cairo Road leaving their compound markets.
This outbreak should send a serious message to government and local authorities to act now than regret later.
Furthermore I think government should go further and ban salaula trading.
Just how can people walk proudly wearing used underwear or bras? It is disgraceful! For me it is a mark of backwardness.
In fact if this trade is banned it will boost the local clothing industry.
That is the only way to measure true development, not by wearing salaula for 30 years.
Kosamu Chilufya, LUSAKA
