Some Lusaka traders have welcomed the decision by Lusaka City Council to rid the streets of vendors.
In random interviews, the traders said the action would remove most of the problems that traders especially shopkeepers have been facing along the streets.
One trader, a Mr Manfred Siaju , stores manager for Pep stores on Cairo Road expressed happiness but said the exercise should not be a one day event but should be continuous.
He said this would ensure that a sense of responsibility was inculcated into the vendors so that they realized that vending on the streets was wrong.
Mr Siaju said customers often complained of harassment from street vendors who in some cases placed their merchandise on door step and prevented customers from entering shops.
“As you can see the corridors now look very clean , people are able to walk freely and cases of pick pocketing will now vanish”, said Mr Siaju.
Mr Siaju added that some vendors tended to tease customers and placed their merchandise in awkward position and forced people to pay them for accidentally stepped on their goods.
Mr Siaju said though he sympathised with street vendors being banished from the streets, there was need for trading to be done in designated
places.
“I agree with the Minister of Local Government and Housing Sylvia Masebo when she said not every corner of Lusaka should be a trading place.
There is need for those vendors to go and carryout their activities in the designated markets”, said Mr Siaju.
Mr Siaju said street vendors posed a serious challenge to shop owners as the had to compete with them for customers.
Another trader identified as Mwansa, a shoe dealer, said though it was a relief to store owners and shoppers, street vendors have lost their only means of survival.
“Some of the vendors were able to feed their families from the little money they earned from the streets and send their children to school.
Now that the council has chased them from the streets, it would be difficult for them to survive.
Mwansa appealed to the council to reduce fees in markets so that they could be affordable to everyone.
perhaps introducing Market days on certain days of the week so that vendors could sell there comodities and pay a certain fee to the city council that way everyone is a winner street vendors are trying to survive and getting rid of them without repacing there activities could be dangerous.
am sure most of them dont have money to own shops.
Dr mukapa,I agree with you 1000,000%, these are people who are trying to earn a living just like any of us and whoever came up with the idea of evicting them should also try to come up with some jobs for these people.
They always remove the vendors but they always come back! Whats the use of removing them then?
You guys that is not feasible, these guys survive solely on vending, if you use the day system how will they make up for inactive days?The problem with our councils they dont offer them alternatives,its painful to make to make harsh decisions but always equip them with feasible win win solutions so that no one is disadvantaged in the process.
Why can’t councils build more market places? They will still gain from fees that they will charge these vendors. It is a high time we came up decent markets just like Soweto Market. Please, make more markets in all towns. Chisokone in Kitwe and others are just pathetic and it appears that those we elect are blind and cannot see! Designated days (e.g. Saturday markets) can work also but erection of better structures is what Zambia should be doing all over the nation.