By ROGERS KALERO
STREET Vendors in the city corridors must start leaving to go and occupy the trading places which the Kitwe City Council (KCC) has secured for them at Chisokone market, Town Clerk Mbulo Seke has said.
Mr Seke said the vendors had asked the local authority to give them up to Friday last week to start leaving the city corridors.
He said, therefore, that the local authority was sure that the vendors would start leaving the corridors to occupy the alternative trading places at Chisokone market which it had secured for them.
In an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Seke said the local authority would give the vendors the benefit of doubt regarding leaving the city centre to occupy the trading places at Chisokone market.
“We have asked the vendors to leave the city corridors to go and occupy the alternative trading places at Chisokone market which we’ve secured for them. We will not rush them, but we will give them a benefit of doubt,” Mr Seke said.
Last week, the local authority secured alternative trading spaces at Chisokone market for all street vendors operating from Pick ‘n’ Pay, Shoprite and Salvation Army corridors on Matuka Avenue.
Mr Seke added that the council would also allow ungazetted street vending on Chisokone One Way in order to help vendors do some business in the evening.
The Town Clerk said the local authority would soon be lighting up Chisokone One Way Street in order to increase vending hours.
This was after vendors protested the decision of the local authority to remove them from the city corridors.
Mr Seke said the council every year constructs at least a market shelter in Chisokone market in order to provide more trading spaces for the unserved traders including street vendors.
