Soweto Market under total shutdown

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 09:02:27 +0000

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

SOWETO Market traders will from today not be allowed to conduct business at the premises until the cholera task force has cleaned and disinfected the area.

A Zambia National Information Services crew went round affected areas including Soweto market advising traders to stay away from the market today.

Earlier yesterday, a check by the Sunday Nation crew, found traders at Soweto Market going about their normal business.

However, the ZANIS crew with a public address system was moving around the market advising traders that they should not conduct any business from today until the market was cleaned.

Some of the traders spoken had mixed feelings over the Presidential directive to ban street vending.

Ms Margaret Mbewe, a widowed vegetable seller, was dismayed in that the business was her only source of income to support her children’s education.

She was however hopeful that banning street vending would only be a temporary measure to contain cholera and that thereafter, vendors would free to conduct their business.

“This is the only way we make money seeing that I am a widow we hope this is only a temporary measure to contain cholera and after the situation normalises we will be able to conduct business,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Joe Mubanga, a Lusaka resident, welcomed the move and commended President Edgar Lungu for issuing the directive as such a quick response would stop the spread of cholera.

Mr Mubanga said President Lungu had taken a decisive action to safeguard the lives of citizens.

Another trader, Ms Esther Phiri welcomed the directive as it would save their lives against cholera but urged the government to find them an alternative trading area.

Ms Phiri admitted that Soweto Market was no longer a healthy place to conduct business from.