Illegal markets on Kafue River banks worry civic leaders

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 10:12:42 +0000

By ROGERS KALERO

RIVERSIDE and Ipusukilo Ward Councillors in Kitwe are struggling to persuade and convince  residents  of the two wards to stop trading from an illegal market which they have established on the banks of Kafue River on Mufuchani Bridge.

The two councillors, Chando Mbao for Riverside and Mwango Chilufya Sata for Ipusukilo, said the residents of the two wards were resisting to stop trading from the illegal market despite explaining to them that the area was not conducive for trading, especially that it has no toilet facilities.

Mr Mbao said the residents had decided to move from the designated market in the area, and establish an illegal market on Mufuchani River because, according to them, there was business on the bridge.

“We are having challenges here because of this illegal market which has been established by the residents of Riverside and Ipusukilo wards. We have been telling them to stop trading from this market because it is not conducive and has got no toilet facilities, but they don’t listen,” Mr Mbao said.

And Ipusukilo ward councillor Mwango Chilufya Sata said he would not give up on sensitizing the residents against trading on an illegal market, which has no toilet facilities.

He said Patriotic Front (PF (PF) government would not use force to move people from illegal places, but would always engage them so that they could see sense in what the leadership was  telling them.

“As leaders, we serve people from various back grounds and so we should neither give up or use force to make them do things they are not willing to do, but instead, we should embrace dialogue so that they see sense in whatever, we are telling them.

“We will continue to explain to them that we want them to leave the market because it is illegal and has no facilities like toilets,” Mr Sata said.