Chongwe vendors finally vacate streets

ILLEGAL marketeers in Chongwe’s central business district have been ordered to move away from all undesignated trading places to avoid the spread of cholera.

The call had been issued several times in the past by the council but this time the appeal was different as it hinged on life and death – they just had to vacate to prevent cholera outbreak.

Mayor Geoffrey Chumbwe said the marketers could not resist any further as the risk of the cholera epidemic spreading was high and that they had since complied.

A combined team of Chongwe municipal council police, Zambia Police and Zambia National Service were at hand to make sure that the directive was adhered to.

Mr Chumbwe ordered all the illegal traders to adhere to the directive or be forced out. A check by the Daily Nation found that the traders had adhered to the call and the situation was incident free.

The mayor earlier engaged the marketers and said the move was meant to prevent the outbreak of cholera in the district.

He said the area the marketeers were using was not just illegal but also posed a danger to the health of both the traders and the general public.

“You might not be happy with the move, but this is for your own good. Please let us all join hands in the fight against cholera. This is not a disease to gamble with,” Mr Chumbwe said.

Some marketers who trade outside the market along the great East Road complained that they were not given enough notice.

“We are not ready, but we just have to move. Some of us are widows and this is our source of income. The council would have given us a bit of time to vacate slowly,” a Ms. Zimba said.

“This is unfair; the council should have first found an alternative place before moving us. Our business has been put in disarray, by the time we come back we would have lost out on profits” a Mr. Banda complained.