CAESAR MBEWE writes
STREET vendors in Lusaka have continued to disobey council orders that barred them from vending especially on Cairo, Cha Cha Cha Roads and Freedom Way in the evening.
Lusaka City Council Public relations officer, George Sichimba told the Sun in a telephone interview that all those involved in night vending will be dealt with accordingly.
Mr. Sichima said evening vendors were the major reason why the town was dirty because they left litter everywhere when knocking off.
“Let me warn all those doing night or evening street vending that it is illegal and the law will visit them soon,” Mr. Sichimba said.
Meanwhile some of the street vendors talked to said staying in the market did not help sales so much compared to being in the streets in the evening.
One of the street vendors Michelle Habeenzu, a widow with four children said she had nowhere to sell her Salaula to feed her family since City Market was gutted and no proper alternative place has been provided by the council.
“Ine nebo widow nalikwata abana bali four, ninebo uba lisha, so nga sha chitishe ninshi abana taba lye elo epo yapila city market taba tupelo inchende tunga chitilapo ama kwebo,” Mrs Habeenzu said.
Another vendor Gift Chilongo, 34 a family man, said if he did not vend his family would starve although he was aware that it was illegal to sell in the streets.
“Tiziba nimulandu but njala nayo ibaba elo nchito kulibe so ngati sitina gulese mu street tizadya chani, ba council nabo bafunika kuziba ati ngati tense na option sembe sitima bwela mu street, mu market ma customers siba bwela muma zulo that’s why tima ba konka,” Mr Chilongo said.
Evening street vending has been going on ever since the joint operation by security wings was abandoned.
The joint operation was commissioned by President Edger Chagwa Lungu in an attempt to end cholera that that ravaged the town in 2017.
