Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe has said Chisokone Market in Kitwe is no longer habitable for trading due to the deteriorating infrastructure coupled with poor sanitation.
Mr Kang’ombe undertook his first tour of Zambia’s arguably second largest market in the company of Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe to appreciate the challenges being faced by the marketeers.
As usual the bad state of the toilets, poor drainage systems and deteriorating infrastructure are among the major challenges that welcomed the two leaders.
Mr Kang’ombe said the levels of sanitation are very poor and there is need to urgently move in and arrest the situation to make the environment habitable for doing business.
The Local government Association President said the Council will soon move in to provide drainages and make sure that toilets have adequate water supply.
“We have established that the levels of sanitation are very poor, we urgently need to find a way in which we can provide drainages, were water can easily flow. We need to ensure that toilets have adequate water supply. We want to assure marketeers that the local authority which is collecting money will provide a service to their satisfaction” the Mayor said.
“We are going to continue collecting garbage; we are going to continue cleaning the facilities so that they are ideal for trading. The office of the District Commissioner and the office of the Mayor is planning an indaba to come up with solutions that will address the challenges being faced by marketeers.
Mr Kang’ombe has appealed to the Marketeers to continue trading despite the market facility not being ideal for doing business.
“We have discovered that this facility is not ideal for trading, it’s just that people are suffering but in my view we need to improve the state of the market” He added.
“My anticipation is that there is a lot of money which is not reaching the Council, if our cashiers are collecting money and it’s not reaching the council then we have to address that.It is the reason we are calling for an indaba to establish the actual money which is supposed to come out of Chisokone”
Meanwhile, Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe said his office will urgently move in to provide security market and address the issue of foreigners that have invaded the markets.
“Government will move in to provide security in the market; we will protect our marketeers, because the informal sector is what government is looking at to contribute to the country’s economical development.We need to protect the sector, there is too much money that can add value to national development” he said
The two District leaders have issued a joint statement regarding superiority in the district.
Kitwe District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe said “we are not interested in who is senior and who has more authority, we are interested in providing services, but we are going to work as a team, anything to do within the district we will work as a team”
Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe said “The president is not interested in politics of seniority, who should report to who, who should sit in which office and drive which vehicle, our purpose is to provide a service”
They say cleanliness is next to Godliness but the generally filthy environment in Zambia is next to Satanliness if you will pardon the expression. Even though they say this is a Crhistian nation but it is clear that it inclines more to the evil one than to Christ. Lungu and all his minions are globe trotters of note but they learn nothing from their travels how other countries manage to keep their environment spick and span. In Zambia even garbage disposal is such a challenge that it needs God’s intervention to solve it!
the dc and mayor could have done was to collect garbage than showing off a political stunt…next will be lusambo inspecting the same place.
Did u really need to visit the market to establish it needs attention? You grew up in Kitwe the dump has been like that for years. And please stop the language of need to do this or that and just get on with it. And why wear ceremonial medals on such a tour. This is exhausting
So Chanda is fighting Christopher for seniority. Please Kitwe is bigger than your childishness.
The money from the markets is stolen by PF cadres & not council cashiers.
Its the Devil ba Wantanshi. Immediately he hears you declare you are a Christian nation he comes to challenge you by dancing on all your projects like cleanliness, gender violence, good governance projects, so that people can say ‘see how terrible a christian nation can be?” he even makes your President start seeing evil people like Rupiah Banda and Dora Siliya like angels. so that his cabinet can be confused.
Thats why it is safer not to declare your nation a christian nation. That way you avoid bad things like dirty insanitary markets
We are tired of listening to people telling us about plansto remove garbage provide drainage. Just clean it just fix the drainage
Kang’ombe and kabwe are wondering where the levy collected in chisokone market goes…they are forgetting that F.P cadres are in charge and what do they expect with such a situation.
Thanx for that tour we want it to be meaningful,we don’t want to hear that hon lusambo is also at the same place because you guys have failed to deriver as my brother Isis.zm as said.
Black people we are very dirty. Shame upon us
It’s shameful 4 de two Leaders christopher n chanda to come n inspect de operation n status of chisokone market instead of just
delivering de required services
@Ba Chile, very true. Zambia should not have been given independence in 1964. South Africa, Zimbabwe too should not have been given independence earlier
Don’t criticize these gentlemen. Chisokone as back as 1974 was just nice small building for vegetables, fruits etc mainly meant for the expatriate community. Because of politics people started encroaching on the “vacant ” land between the market and BECEL club. It started with Kashikishi fresh fish trucks and then others followed. That was before mayor was even born and his father had just entered college. Don’t just criticise because you’re not in power. This problem is both real and a time bomb. Upnd you’ve Elvis NKANDU among your ranks : the man fleeced the marketeers and ended up a millionaire.
I hear you. You must be an old folk.
Yes, I was in my teens when I came to Kitwe after being selected at ZIT.
Check some of the following and see places still under British rule and compare them with Zambia where every place is a market and markets are filthy. Where do you think serious tourists will go? Most black countries need a white man
dot.youtube.com/watch?v=kX1H3Aiu5FA
dot.youtube.com/watch?v=W067By3J_7U
For as long as cadres collect market levies inspections will not provide solutions. The make it worse.
Not all Africans or the so called “Black people” are dirty. We have a lot of illiterate people in Zambia who have migrated to towns from villages without any level of education. These are the majority you find doing business at places like Chisokone, so do we expect with our poor Law and weak economy?
There are Pink people also who are dirty its not only Black people. The bottom line is EDUCATION.
There are many dirty educated non-blacks. I see them every day. They are everywhere!
but who is the senior between the two?
@kalumbi, you’re very much right. We seem to be quick to associate every evil to the color. Europeans ensured that everyone leaving their village for was accounted for and must have a reason for the visit. People were arrested for being “loafers ” in time. This made many people to stay in their villages and contribute to their development. After independence the flood gates were opened and entire villages poured into towns thus giving way to “zambia compounds ” or shanties. Even then there weren’t many jobs to go around which forced most of this “emigrants ” to resort to trading.
Mubita Kaulungombe IS A ARSE CLEANER WHO WANTS TO CLEAN MY ARSE
In addition traders have refused to move to Chimwemwe so that Chisokone can be rebuilt into a modern structure.
Comment:The two gentleman can do whatever they want in the name of working kabili pa zed we see people working when they are paraded on camera.Both of them are Kitwe residents they can inspect kabili they buy things from the so called Shopping malls Ku chisokone kale bapitileko .Revenue collection from this market is huge and the city Fathers they that their carders are the beneficiary.
as Zambians we thrive in dirty and chaos, It matters less whether one is at chisokone market or driving in an expensive car as long as they are Zambias, throwing litter is instinctively and no wander we see nothing wrong starting from the head of state
Introduce electronic invoice, not even a coil will be stollen. A lot of money is stollen in bus stations and markets by council workers.
Nothing new here – and not the only market or numerous other places with garbage. All these years it has not been determined whose responsibility it is to clean up? Which budget it should come from? I thought the councils have a hand in this? Everyone takes ‘tours’ and expresses ‘surprise’ at the state of affairs. Someone or something should have been held accountable by now. No processes, no accountability.
When did they learn about this?
@BK right 17 In some councils they have stopped accepting cash. You pay at the bank and take the banking slip. Not inconvenience people councils can introduce vending machine for motorists or seasonal tickets. Get rid of collectors who just pocket the money