GOVERNMENT will build a minimum of 10 highway markets in each province under the Jubilee Women’s Integrated Highway Initiative programme, Vice-President Inonge Wina has said.
Ms Wina said the programme will transform roadside markets into integrated economic hubs for wealth creation and empowerment of women and their communities.
She said this during the launch of the Jubilee Women’s Integrated Highway Markets programme in Chibombo district on Friday.
“Each time I pass through these markets, I am burdened as to how best these markets could be transformed. At the beginning of the month, Government approved the establishment of this initiative which is an answer to my vision of a Zambia in which women marketeers across the country create wealth in roadside markets in a clean and safe environment for themselves and their customers,” she said.
According to Ms Wina, the initiative will result in the stimulation of the socio-economic development of the women, their families and the nation.
She said the markets will be constructed where roadside markets exist including at John Chinena Market in Chibombo.
Ms Wina said the markets which will have environmental friendly facilities that will be identified and put in place, will be built to also include the handicapped, the youth, children and men.
“The strategy that will be adopted in identifying and upgrading the roadside markets are called the Spider Web which is a thrust to spread the markets countrywide from the centre (Chibombo) in a way a spider spreads its web,” she said.
She said this will be of use and relevance to bulk transporters, market traders and other communities.
And Ms Wina said under the Public, Private Partnership (PPP) concept, Government will provide land and title to such land on which the highway markets will be established.
She also said construction of a health post and provision of water to the markets will be addressed by Government and its partners who have pledged to install boreholes in the area.
i support this initiative but my view really is as a country we need to re-look our status as a trading country instead of production and value addition. we seem to always want to do easy things rather than doing what is right. yes we will spend collosal amounts of money of markets (yes we need them i cant disagree) but what is it that we are selling in these markets is my question. how much value have we added to the raw products before placing them on the shelves of these markets.
Dear Ine wine, Glad you support the intiative. There will be more information posted on the blogs and social media in the near future so that you have an overview of the whole initiative. These women need to be educated on how to add value to their products but the first practical step is to change the environment they operate in and their mindsets. It is diffucult to add value to a product when you have no running water or toilets. Furthermore, the infrastructure they use to display their produce is a safety concern and the way is disposed of near markets is of great concern. As they say, it is important to take the first step which will bring about the value adition vision you have spoken of.
One market in each province and you think you are doing anything about it? If you drive even between Kabwe and Landless Corner; how many ‘markets’ do you find people selling by the roadside? Yet only one at John Chinena has been identified for upliftment, you want all road traders to come to JC from all over, at what cost – olo nilukonda Chinena sure!
Dear KBM,
JC is the biggest market along that highway. It has roughly 1500 marketeers, so it makes sense for it to be the focal point. The main intiative is to have a spider web approach where such markets are targeted all over Zambia. A lot of women use these markets to educate their children and have been ignored for too long. It is amzing how they are linked to the agriculture diversification idea. This idea has the potential of creating economic hubs in Zambia and job creation if fully implemented. It is practical approach to alleviating poverty.
This concept is long over due. It is a shame that 51 years after independence that women along highway trade under deplorable conditions, such as lack of hygiene and sanitation. The new market idea will not transform mindsets, but also change the landscape in Zambia. The markets will be integrated by having banking facilities, micro credit, police posts, cold storage facilities, security lights, toilets, child care facilities, wellness clinic and truck inns. This is give marketeers a chance to add value to their produce as they will have the infrastructure to present and preserve their products making them more competitive.
Comment:All well meaning zambians should support this initiative. It’s the first of its kind in the history of Zambia. This is a sector of women who have been neglected for over 40 years. Congratulations our iron lady!
Nachi I concur, the women on highway markets need a change in their working conditions.
EXCELLENT IDEA. THIS CAN BE A SHOWPIECE IN AFRICA. PLEASE PLAN THEM WELL AND PROVIDE AMPLE, PAVED PACKING SPACE. IF WELL EXCUTED, IT HAS PONTENTIAL TO NOT ONLY ADD ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO RURAL COMMUNITIES BUT CAN ALSO DECONGEST THE TOWNS. PRIVATE SECTOR MUST BE INVOLVED FOR SUSTAINABILITY.
Last Man,
You have a valid point . This could add so many benefits to the people living in the rural communities.
Its just spend spend spend with these empty tins no smart policies!!
Jay Jay,
There is a huge difference between spending and investing and empowering people. Clearly, this concept is the latter. This is a well thought out process, which needs to be supported. The conditions at those markets are simply unacceptable. This project will enable the marketeers to increase their revenue. Furthermore, it will prevent diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrheal diseases from spreading. As such, it will in turn alleviate our already over burdened health care system.
But john . . . nena as core web for women’s markets is disconforting! sounds like insulting to the women folk as target group. i feel we should start learning to pronounce the name begining with sound J ‘Jinena’ as in tonga or change the name of the market altogether
But the name for the core web is rather disconforting and insulting to the very women its purpoted to target.I feel we should Either learn to pronounce it begining with sound ‘J’ as in tonga language or change the name of the market altogether
Cinena…OR Jinena …OR Vinena? Which is the correct name? Twapapata sana…