By MUKWIMA CHILALA and SIMON MUNTEMBA
VENDORS on Cairo and Chachacha roads in Lusaka’s Central Business District have defied Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo’s directive for them to vacate the streets and relocate to designated places.Mr Nkombo yesterday ordered the vendors on Cairo and Chachacha roads to immediately relocate to New Soweto and City markets, failure to which they will be removed by force. But a check yesterday found it was business as usual in all the major streets – Cairo, Cha Cha Cha and Freedom Way.And some vendors spoken to have expressed disappointment at the manner in which the government has abruptly asked them to vacate the streets without giving any notice.The vendors claimed that there wasn’t enough space to accommodate all of them at City Market and the newly built Simon Mwewa Lane markets.Meanwhile, the Patriotic Front says it is insensitive of the UPND government to unceremoniously eject vendors from the streets without finding them acceptable alternatives.PF acting Secretary-General, Nickson Chilangwa said Government should leave the vendors on the streets until they provided them with an alternative place to trade from than ejecting them unceremoniously.Mr Chilangwa said in a statement that the PF was disturbed with the decision by the UPND government to unceremoniously remove street vending mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters from the streets.“How does the UPND government expect our people on the street to survive without providing them an alternative? We demand that the UPND administration leaves the street vendors on the streets until alternative and acceptable alternatives are found for them,” Mr Chilangwa said.He said President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration were now showing their true colours of being insensitive as they continue breaking campaign promises. Mr Chilangwa said it was now evident that the elitist UPND gave fake promises just to win the vote of vendors and the poor people.And now to add salt to injury, he said, the UPND is bent on taking away the little that is left of the livelihoods of street vendors whose life it has already made harder with the increased cost of living brought on by the decision to remove subsidies.
