Don't give false hopes to street vendors, Kitwe mayor warns

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 12:54:32 +0000

 By ROGERS KALERO

KITWE Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe has said politicians or any member of society should not give false hopes to street vendors that the Kitwe City Council (KCC) will reverse its decision of relocating them from the city corridors to Chisokone market.

Mr Kang’ombe said the decision by the local authority to remove street vendors from the city corridors to Chisokone market was final and that those who wanted to force themselves into the streets because they have been incited by some individuals would be dealt with sternly.

The mayor was reacting to an incident on Saturday when some second hand clothes vendors who have been relocated to Chisokone market wanted to force themselves into the city corridors, but were stopped by a combined force of State and council police.

In the ensuing confusion, 35 salaula street vendors were arrested by and detained at Kitwe Central police station.

In response to the behaviour of the vendors, the mayor said the decision by the local authority to remove street vendors from the city corridors was final, adding that the unruly behaviour by some vendors would not change the council’s stance.

“As a local authority, we made a decision to relocate street vendors from the city corridors to Chisokone market and the decision is final. So no one should give false hope to the vendors that the local authority would reverse its decision.

“If the vendors want to believe those who are inciting them or giving them false hopes that the council will reverse its decision, then they are just wasting their time because the chapter of street vending is closed. We are not going to allow ourselves to be held to ransom by individuals,” Mr Kang’ombe said.

He said he strongly suspected that the vendors who wanted to force themselves into the city corridors were either incited or given some false hopes that the council would reverse its decision if they tried to misbehave.

“Any person in his or her right frame of mind would be suspicious about the conduct of the vendors because two months after successfully relocating them from the city corridors to Chisokone market, the vendors just woke up on Saturday and decided to force themselves into the city corridors.

“Any way, one day the truth shall be known about who incited them. It is irresponsible, unpatriotic and unfair to the local authority for some individuals to incite the vendors against the council when the matter had been put to rest,” he said.