Sat, 20 Jan 2018 10:36:36 +0000
By VIOLET TEMBO
STREET vendors in Ndola have defied district commissioner George Chisulo’s directive for them to relocate from the central business district to designated trading points.
Earlier, Mr. Chisulo told the vendors at the Ndola civic centre that government had banned street vending
But in protest against Mr. Chisulo’s message, the vendors walked back into the town centre while chanting slogans of change, raising the opposition UPND symbol, and obstructing traffic.
The vendors threatened to use force and close all shops owned by foreigners if the Ndola council police forced them out of the streets.
The situation forced the foreigners to close their businesses in panic.
Later riot police raided the vendors and apprehended a few of them while others scampered.
In an interview, some vendors were not happy with government’s ban of street vending and asked for a grace period.
They vowed to return to the streets if the local authority did not allocate them alternative trading places.
One of them Mary Nangoma said their cry was for a one way street to trade from.
Ms Nangoma said their forceful relocation was not a solution as the markets in the central business district were fully occupied and could not accommodate them all. Another vendor James Phiri said he had welcomed the relocation idea but that the council had been slow in finding them alternative trading places.
“They knew even before they carried out the operation that we needed to be relocated somewhere but they have paid a blind eye to the matter. We earn our income from selling various goods and that is what sustains us. They are killing us by not being proactive in dealing with our issue. ”he said.
Meanwhile Jones Chama, another vendor, welcomed the directive to stop street vending but appealed to the local authority to ensure the vendors were accommodated elsewhere.
“The DC has told us that the directive from Lusaka is that street vending will not be entertained and we have been encouraged to move into the markets. We appreciate that sanity has been restored but let them look into our welfare,” he said.
