UPND CADRES, TRADERS CLASH
A check by the Daily Nation found heavy presence of police officers who were keeping vigil of the market in anticipation of trouble after traders fought of the cadres. According to an eye witness, Buseko cooperative owners had allegedly sold some portions of the market which they wanted to demarcate but that the move was stopped by irate traders who called the police.
A trader who wanted to remain anonymous said that some UPND cadres who had been threatening them in the past week with a possible take over, were among the people purporting to be cooperatives owners .
He said that they were just trying to hide in the cooper ative but otherwise they are the ones that are pushing the agenda to sell parts of the market. The trader said that af ter president Michael Sata came to power he abolished cooperatives and that the group was disbanded by cadres who took over the running of the market.
He said that the marketeers were told to pay K2.4 million to the Forestry Department for them to own the land where the market is located but that they only made a partial payment and that they had a balance outstanding. “We are in the dark because if these guys were the rightful owners they are supposed to come and in form us so that we are in the clear unlike what is happening,’’ he said. The trader said the presence of the cadres like one only identified as Vincent and market master was what infuriated them and that they fought them for three consecutive days.
He challenged the President Hakainde Hichilema to ensure that the cadres were restrained from imposing themselves on the markets. Meanwhile UPND Lusaka District security chairperson Vincent Phiri said the market was being run by two entities the council and the cooperative. He said the problem was that he was summoned to the scene in order to restore order at the market which was on the verge of becoming den for cadres. Mr Phiri said that his party had maintained that no cadres were to be allowed in markets because of the law lessness that was witnessed in the PF regime.
He said that the police were told to arrest anyone that would cause confusion at the station but was quick to say the UPND would not interfere and would let the law take its course. “We are not going to shield anyone at the moment and all those that will be found wanting are going to face the wrath of the law,’’ he said.
