The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance has welcomed the move by the Lusaka City Council to remove unauthorized food and alcohol vendors in the Central Business District citing it as a progressive step in addressing the persistent food safety concerns.
The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition Alliance Country Coordinator Mathews Mhuru stated that with little to non-adherence to food safety measures, traders who operate food stands in the Central Business District have been exposing consumers to various health hazards including food poisoning and diseases caused by unhealthy foods.
Mr Mhuru has since commended the Council for the move taken and urged them to fully implement any laws that seek to promote food safety.
“Including the full implementation of the Food Safety Act of 2019 in order to fully protect the public against health hazards that are associated with unhealthy foods,” Mr Mhuru stated
Last week, The Lusaka City Council announced that it was embarking on an exercise to remove unauthorized food and alcohol vendors in the Central Business District (CBD), a move that is aimed at improving food hygiene and bringing sanity to the city.
Lusaka City Council Public Relations Manager Chola Mwamba cited in a statement issued that the action to remove food and alcohol vendors from the Central Business District is aimed at maintaining sanitation in the city.
Ms Mwamba stated that the Local Authority will not entertain vendors that have mounted cooking and alcohol stands on the island of Cairo Road and Filter Lanes of Lumumba Road because the practice is not only unhygienic but also a nuisance.
“This means that any act, omission, or thing which is, or may be offensive, dangerous to life, or injurious to health is contrary to The Public Health Act Cap 295 Section 67, the Food Safety Act No. 7 of 2019, The Liquor Licensing Act No. 20 of 2011 and the Statutory Instrument No. 12 of 2018 (The Local Government (Street Vending and Nuisances) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations, 2018),” she explained
She added that other than the pollution that cooking stands come with, they can also cause fire accidents to the nearby infrastructures and can cause injuries to pedestrians.
Ms Mwamba said that in line with this, the Council has since heightened its inspections of food outlets in the CBD and will extend the exercise to other areas in the city where illegal catering services are being offered.
“The Local Authority had already warned the people engaging in illegal cooking and illicit sale of alcohol on the streets,” she said
Ms Mwamba said that those operating such businesses have since been guided that the operation shall lead to seizure of articles, removal of all stands and makeshift structures that have been built within the CBD as they are considered to be a Public Health Hazard.
Why is the focus only on lusaka. Mazbka ndola kitwe solwezi and many others are full of street vendors..politicians ar only preoccupied with lusaka why…
May be because Lusaka is the dirtiest city in the country.
Its about time!! because the CBD for real needs to look clean!! but at present moment its not thats why main ppl don’t like going to the CBD!! all the pavements are taken by this vendors!! also the ppl who owns the shops should not allow anyone vending on their door steps of the shops!! I hope the LCC will maintain the standard set going forward!! we need a city where ppl are happy to visit and have a piece of mind away from this shenanigans of vending obstruction and also its good for tourist attractions although we have nothing to show off!!! i mean first impression counts on the perspective of a tourist not just the safari areas!!!
the ppl who owns the shops do not have any authority to remove the vendors. Vendors only flee from Police
before the Civil Society lends support to Council’s move to remove unauthorized food and alcohol vendors from CBD, they civil society should ask the councils to speed up the finishing of Soweto and simon mwaba markets which have stored so that food vendors can go in the markets