The government has directed Choma Municipal council to release all seized goods from non-compliant businesses in the provincial capital last week.
Southern Province Minister Cornelius Mweetwa says the local authority should release the seized goods to the owners immediately since the COVID- 19 situation has hit hard small-scale businesses.
Mr. Mweetwa has since appealed to the council to first conduct civic education and give notice and a grace period before swinging into action to confiscate merchandise and close down businesses.
“I don’t think that I’m here to say that people should trade illegally. I’m here to say let us sensitize people, give them a grace period so that we go out with a win-win situation.” He stressed.
The Minister who was speaking when he officially opened Chima Mobile store in Choma yesterday, further reaffirmed of government’s commitment to ensuring that it creates an enabling environment for local entrepreneurs to startup businesses.
Meanwhile, Chima Mobile Director Eric Mayanda says he is determined to empower the locals especially the youth.
Disclosing that his business has employed about 10 youth for a start, Mr. Mayanda however bemoaned the increasing number of foreigners competing with locals in small businesses.
“You find that someone comes from China to open a business like the one I’ve opened here. It becomes hard to compete because if you look at how they are sourcing their products, it’s easy for them, ” he lamented.
He has appealed to the government to come up with a deliberate policy to deter investors from setting up businesses that can be handled by locals.
This is encouraging lawlessness. If these people defaulted on their obligations then the law has be applied accordingly.
THIS IS ABSOLUTE NONSENSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THE LAW
THE PROBLEM PF LET EVERYONE GET AWAY REGARDLESS
ZAMBIAN MENTALITY HAS TO CHANGE
THE LAW IS THE LAW
CONFISCATE GOODS NOT THE ANSWER I AGREE
THEY SHOULD BE FINED BEFORE TRADING AGAIN
WAKE UP MWEETWA
All those who are complaining that the law is the law don’t understand the situation because they have never been visited by these so called council police. During PF, businesses were killed because of the same attitude from them. They would threaten to close down a business over flimsy stuff like toilet not being clean, where as have you ever used a toilet at the civic center? Other stupid issues like water in the drain which is blocked in the first place by street vendors throwing rubbish but the shop owners are threatened with closure. Whether you are right, you have to pleed like a begger and give lunch money. 1 group visits say lcc, you sort them out next day is lcc but this time health dept. Next day is fire dept. They were even milking dead cows. Go and ask people running…
Another moron bringing PF into the picture!
#4 S J. Just imagine. You are substitute in a football team and your team is losing. You tell the coach that you know where the problem is and ask him to give you chance. You go and still your team loses. After the game you blame those who started the game. What can we call this person? Honest or dishonest?
@wako says” flimsy stuff like toilet not being clean”. Closing a business for dirty toilets is not flimsy!. Dirt is a threat to human health. The permissive culture on dirtiness among some people is simply amazing. Yes Hon., educate them and create awareness on legal provisions and council bye-laws but apply the law if they do not change.
Iwe sleepy joe and dejavu. Are we not supposed to talk about the ills pf committed? Should we paint the picture as very rosy? Don’t be silly, we are supposed to point to the mistakes they made so that we can correct them for the better and improve our country. If they were so perfect and didn’t make mistakes than why were they voted out by more the 1 million people? Chikopo iwe! Than why have you run away to SA. Come and live in Z and be patriotic like some of us are.
#7 Wako it’s typical of your people to react by insulting those with divergent views. Running a government is not like attending to kral. PF could have offended people but this happens all the time even in America. You were given a chance to remove them, and you did, so why keep on singing the same song. After all in Tonga land there was no PF and all affairs were run by Upnd councillors. Don’t pass the blame, own it.