Copperbelt Province Minister, Elisha Matambo, has toured the gutted Chiwempala Market and assured traders that government will enhance security in markets prone to fires.
Mr Matambo also pledged that government will provide financial compensation to affected marketeers to help them resume their businesses.
He warned that stern action will be taken against individuals found responsible for setting markets on fire, describing such acts as criminal and retrogressive.
“It is disappointing that this market has been gutted just days after the district held a peace indaba aimed at ending negative vices such as riots and deliberate market fires,” Mr Matambo said.
And Chingola Mayor, Johnson Kang’ombe, has appealed to residents to embrace peace and unity, urging them to refrain from acts that cause harm to others.
He expressed regret over the incident, which he suspected may have been started by unscrupulous individuals with ill intentions.
The media reports that a fire swept through Chiwempala Market in Chingola yesterday, destroying goods worth large sums of money belonging to over 3,000 traders.
