Leader of the opposition Patriots for Economic Progress Sean Tembo has condemned what he has termed as harassment of street vendors by the government through a short notice given for them to vacate the Central Business District.
Local Government and Rural Development Minister Garry Nkombo yesterday gave a short notice and ultimatum to street vendors to immediately vacate Cairo road, Chachacha road and Freedom Way and directed the Council to relocate them to designated trading places.
But Mr. Tembo said that the government should have first engaged the representatives of the street vendors before removing them from the streets.
Addressing Journalists at a media briefing, Mr. Tembo said this will increase poverty at household level especially that the prices of commodities have gone up following the adjustment in fuel prices by the Energy Regulations Board.
Meanwhile, Patriotic Front acting Secretary-General Nickson Chilangwa says the party is disturbed with the decision by the UPND government to unceremoniously remove street vendors from the streets.
“President Hakainde Hichilema and his promise breaking administration are now showing their true insensitive colours. The elitist UPND gave fake promises to the poor masses just to win the vote of vendors and the poor masses,”he said.
“Instead of fulfilling their promise to reduce the price of fuel and electricity, the UPND administration have broken their promise by doing the opposite of what they promised. They have instead removed the fuel and electricity subsidies that cushioned the poor, and hiked fuel prices and electricity tariffs. This has significantly raised the cost of living – particularly for the vendors and masses of our people,”.
And now to add salt to injury, he said, the UPND is bent on taking away the little that is left of the livelihoods of street vendors whose life the UPND has already made harder with the increased cost of living brought on by the Hichilema administration’s decision to remove subsidies.
Mr Chilangwa said “How does the UPND government expect our people on the street to survive without providing them an alternative.
In a statement, the SG demanded that the UPND administration leave the street vendors on the streets until alternative and acceptable alternatives are found for them.
“Unlike our capitalist friends in the UPND government, PF remains a pro-poor party.
PF is therefore greatly disturbed by this insensitive UPND injustice and we sympathise with our sisters, mother’s brothers and fathers,”he said.
He said “As the Kabwata Constituency by-election approaches, we note that there are street vendors who either come from Kabwata Constituency or are connected to the constituency in one way or another, and we call upon them and the people of Kabwata to signal their disgust for the many promises UPND have broken in such a short time, by voting for PF.
Used and disposed off like a condom. We warned you to not vote for those evil under 5s, you didn’t listen. See your lives now haha
I don’t support street vending but I feel people have been used and then betrayed. During the run-up to the election, the now ruling party supported the street vendors and I am because of this seemingly support these people voted Upnd. One of many Uturns?
WHY I TONGA PEOPLE TOOK 57 YEARS TO PRODUCE A LEADER FOR ZAMBIA
Before the ascendance of Bally HH to Zambian presidency, the closest the southerners came to presidency is 32 years ago under KK when Kebby Musokotwane was Prime Minister (equivalent of Vice President). Under Chiluba, Mwanawasa, Banda, Sata and Lungu, the Tongas could not even be considered for vice presidency.
The biggest problem with Tongas is that they work so hard to bring down any fellow Tonga who shows leadership qualities, potential to grow, intelligence and, courage to be different from the rest of their mindsets. They are simply never proud of their own even when their brethren achieve significant National recognition which the whole country appreciates. They make sure such a one is blocked from political…
The children of Israel unsettled God for a King like the other nations. God insisted that He was their King, but they forsook that. Then God gave them King Saul, then trouble started. Let’s hope we are going the same direction.
Sorry I meant Hope we are not going the same direction
About time someone had the balls and removed street vendors…you are simply cheating yourselves by stating that give them space somewhere else these guys never really want to go anywhere in fact some have stands in Markets and have sublet the selfsame stands.
Hard to comment but The Minister is in order for sanity’s sake
Sean Tembo will make a great President. In politics the trick is to make people think they are part of your decision. Machaivelli would have given him an A+
What Tembo says is very right. UPND should have first engaged the representatives of the street vendors before removing them from the streets. Let them know why they are being removed then escort them -to the new market space of course.
Deja Vu – You dont support street vending but you have something to type about….really laughable you don’t really know what you want like Sean Tembo
Deja Vu – You said you are well off to do Zambian mega landlord and successful investor in Zambia and frequently travel globe so you have visited countries where there are no vendors and seen how clean their town centers…this problem of vendors has to be eradicated ever 5 years it keeps growing, its a black market that doesn’t put back nothing in the economy.
Street vending is illegal. The PF government issued an SI that made street vending illegal so this is not something out of the ordinary. As for consulting them who did they consult before setting up those illegal structures on the streets?
Even the street vendors are happy that they are removed. Most street vendors are “slaves” of government workers. I know my cousin who works in ministry of supply has 2 employed vendors at Post Office on Cairo Rd, for years now. I send stuff and he sells there and pays those “employees” kaponyas k800 per month.
I know he will be mad, but I think me and my cousin abuse those guys. K800?
Nostra.. – Street Vending is a black market and puts more pressure on municipal council whilst putting absolutely nothing in the local economy just leaving filth on the streets. At least someone is doing something unlike that coward boy Miles Sampa who didnt want to upset anyone or ruin his chances of being adopted as PF candidate for Matero.
The opposition is slowly becoming irrelevant for trying too much to be relevant.
These a difference between checks and balances and just making noise.
Has Sean Tembo been to town to see the disorder currently happening.
What would happen if cholera broke it in town, as far as we know there no toilets in the streets.
Let us not support disorder. Town now looks like a shanty compound coz of vendors. Sean Tembo have you been to city market and verified if these nontrading area. UPND please do yourself a service by simplying doing a coverage of the trading places at city market otherwise these tins will make noise.
This issue falls under city jurisdiction; the constitution needs to give power the municipalities.
When colonialists went visiting villages and punishing parents for not sending their children to school there were some who criticized the action on grounds that the colonialists had not provided uniforms! Some chief in Southern province had to resort to penalties forcing his subjects to construct pit latrines against open defecation but still met opposition! The ‘first class” shopping district started getting flooded with vendor’s as successive governments defunded councils and usurped their sources of income for jurisdiction services delivery! PF maintained that status quo while lining their pockets with more of the resources, the criticism of increased UPND CDF need open eyes! Cities are dirty because councils have had no means to help the situation as ruling parties took everything…
empowerment to party cadres! Efforts are in place to clean up the mess and all of a sudden the people who helped exacerbate the problem are turning into defenders of the “used and down trodden” to remain on the streets! Only honest selfless risk takers for peoples’ transformation good will take the rough road if only to restore sanity and better standards of living in conducive environment! Sean Tembo has to find a way of masking the zeroes he accumulated in the August ’21 general election!
peoples’ transformation good will take the rough road if only to restore sanity and better standards of living in conducive environment! Sean Tembo has to find a way of masking the zeroes he accumulated in the August ’21 general election!
Ba upnd,continue on the same path of ignoring advice and you will learn your political lessons very soon.
What Sean Tembo is saying is basic politics; engage the gorvened before you make decisions affecting their lives. If you ignore this and simply bulldose, ati kabili we are in power, Nizanu. You will soon feel the weight of street vendors. Trust me.
Contentious; but we cannot have street vendors everywhere in the city. Lusaka is the capital of Zambia, there has to be something delightful to show for it – not street sellers and numerous vehicles polluting the air! Cairo road should be designated ‘pedestrian only’ green area. Support the government on this please.
#plant a tree now please.
Minister Garry Nkombo yesterday: “…….directed the Council to relocate them to designated trading places.”
Sean Tembo said “…first engaged the representatives of the street vendors before removing them from the streets.” WHO ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF STREET VENDORS?
Gary`s approach, to ask the council to place the vendors in trading places makes sense. All of you concerned with the Kabwata elections, please forget it, HH has told you, he will do the right things even if it meant politically losing by-elections. ONLY TOUGH LEADERS ARE CAPABLE OF TAKING UNPOPULAR DECISIONS….ECL, was incapable of making unpopular decisions, where is he?
Every low breaker should be engaged before being removed or punushed according to sean tembo and kaizer. Why only engage one group of law breakers? Lawlessness is just that. All laws should apply to all citizens equally. We zambians need ti kearnbto obey the law.
Next it’ll be illegal structures. People will say engage them too before demolishing their illegal structures even though they were told time after time not to construct their houses in a given place. Whose fault is it that they didn’t listen!? Rail line structures and those who have blocked sewers, drainage and roads next. You cant inconvenience a whole community with flooding, rubbish on the streets, cholera etc because of the greed and selfishness of one person. Remove tgem and Demolish illegal structures
#9 Tarino Orange I think you are just a malicious person. Vendors were cleared here in Kitwe especially in front of ShopRite. What followed is your party officials encouraging these people to go back to the shop corridors in a riotous manner. This is very simple for a level minded person to understand why I am complaining.
If it means losing the Kabwata bye-election, so be it. You can’t definitely turn a city into one big dirty market. It all started small with few testing the waters and now has grown into this eyesore. Someone has just got to take responsibility and bring sanity to all this before it becomes uncontrollable.
PF through corrupt practices allowed street vending to go ahead absolutely everywhere. Stup!d KZ was one of those actively involved in collecting the bribes, so no surprise that he is the first one to react. Find alternative locations first? What nonsense, there are PLENTY empty places at NUMEROUS markets nationwide, go there!
Tarino how would you react if the UK government who keep you there, decided to remove you from the streets of London and prevent you from polishing shoes of business men in London? Don’t be a f00I..People are suffering
I think street vending has to be brought under control……….
Most of those street vendors are actually enriching their Indian , Lebanese and Chinese suppliers who don’t pay tax………..
On the political front again , this is where the minister of information and broadcasting should have been active before this action was taken…………
Maybe there is a disconnect here between the local goverment and information minister, but it would have been easier if the minister for information and broadcasting was up to the task of informing the nation……..
Fully support.its Time for vendors to go. Thank you for the vote ..but you have to go.. sanity is needed…
Ba Yu..pee’n’di
Ruling a counrty is not as easy and straightforward instructional as you think. Kaponya Garry thinks he can just push people around anyhow. The level of intolerance Zambians have reached towards those in power is hyper bargain oriented. A Zambian doesn’t want to be pushed around let alone to be cattle headed. First you hike fuel and electricity then you start behaving funny on the street?
You are not going to bulldoze Zambia and it’s people.
Kaizer, you are right. People are suffering. Years of failed PF govt policies drove them to the streets in the first place. You should sit this one out Mr. You have no moral standing to comment on this issue.
sean Tembo is becoming irritating. You dont have to lecture us on every issue. We can think for ourselves. Keep your opinion to yourself. We all know you’d have done the same thing if you were the president. COULD YOU PLEASE FOR ONCE JUST SHUT UP!!
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We Zambians like filth. It’s fair to say out of the many African countries in similar situations as us we top the filthy chart. Street vending indiscriminately is not only an eyesore, it’s unsafe and can be a source of disease and criminality. We needs to regulate and formalise street vending to ensure it’s done properly. These vendors need to be registered and licensed to provide their services in a safe, clean and regulated environment. You can’t just allow a street vendors selling meat for example to do this at free will without following health and safety rules. We need a serious mindset shift. Just because one is poor does not mean they have to be filthy.
this matter shouldn’t even be politicized. Its about time. i don’t know why this country gratifies evil. even the vendors themselves know that it is illegal to trade from the streets. its high time sanity returned to the streets. there is too too much dirty especially in Lusaka. vendors are everywhere and yet most of them have proper trading spaces in the markets. we need sanity asap. its been long overdue.
Luanshya Town Centre Market is one of them.It has a good shelter and toilets.It can accommodate virtually all Luanshya Town vendors.
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