CHUNGA MARKET WORKS STALL 27 YEARS
CHUNGA market construction works in Lusaka have stalled for 27 years prompting residents to complain over delays to complete the only market in the area.
The market shelter is complete but the shops built around the shelter have remained incomplete.
One of the traders at the market Richard Sangothi explained that the marketers had vowed never to move in the shelter until the market was completed.
“The marketers have made it clear that they will not move in the structure because it’s not complete. They said its better we use the booths or trade on the road reserves,” he said.
Mr. Sangothi also complained that though the newly constructed toilets had been completed six months ago, they were still not operational prompting the marketers to help themselves anywhere.
“Since the toilets are not operational there is a bad smell around the market, people urinate anyhow some throw rubbish in the unfished shops.
“When the rains begins all the waste start flowing to where people are trading and we have people who sell vegetables hence posing a serious health hazard to the community. It’s a challenge,” he said.
Mr. Sangothi appealed to government to help the residents complete the market because it was long overdue.
Meanwhile Chunga market chairman Vincent Lungenda said they had a serious challenge to control the marketeers when it came to helping themselves in the absence of functional toilets.
He said it was difficult to control people because the toilets were not operational and that plans were under way to find ways to ensure the toilets became functional.
Mr. Lungenda explained that the toilet was there but the market had a challenge employing someone to manage the facility.
At the moment as a market we can’t afford to employee someone to manage the toilet, but if we can find a volunteer who can be helping us we can be sharing the money from the toilet fees that the marketers will be paying with our volunteer,” he said.
Mr. Lungenda said that he had already called for a meeting with the marketers and that they had agreed to contribute K5.00 towards the reopening of the toilet.
He also complained that Lusaka City Council had not collected garbage at the market since January, and that this was posing as a serious health hazard to the marketeers.
The Chairman said he was hopeful that the Chunga market would be completed once the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was made available.