Council to use force on Kabwe vendors

By Hlupekile Ndhlovu

Marketeers at New Kasanda market have complained of the number of illegal traders who sell outside the market area.

A marketeer Jane Kunda said the traders who sell outside the market do not even pay levy.

Mrs Kunda said people who sell outside the market disturb the business for those who sell in the market.

She said there was space in the market and that the traders who sell outside the market just want to do so.

And the market Chairperson Joe Mpundu said they consulted the Kabwe Council to help move the traders inside the market.

He said although some traders who sell outside the market complain that the levy in the market was too high it is not true and the market levy is only K500 per day.

Meanwhile the Acting Director of Public Health and Social Services Joseph Kayombo said the council was in the process of removing traders along the line of rail and outside the market.

Mr Kayombo said the council will use force if the vendors fail to comply.

He said the council would meet next week so that they decide on when to implement what they agreed concerning removing vendors from outside the market and along the line of rail.

Mr Kayombo said the council wanted to raise revenue and therefore all those vendors who sell in the streets should be in the markets since they just make the streets dirty without paying levy.

He said in Kabwe vendors increase around 18hrs and these vendors usually come out of the market.

As a solution to this problem, Mr Kayombo said the council will start a street market but will first have to consult stakeholders so that they are able to deal with street vending.

He further said a road has been picked to be a street market and everybody will be eligible and a levy will be introduced.

ENDS/HN/ZANIS/KABWE/ZAMBIA/19-06-09