Slow construction pace worries minister
By MUKOSELA KASALWE GOVERNMENT is concerned with the slow pace of work at the three construction sites where displaced Lusaka street vendors are scheduled to occupy.
Local Government minister Vincent Mwale said it was important to speed up the construction of sites meant to accommodate displaced street vendors in the wake of the cholera outbreak.
Mr Mwale said he was aware that displaced vendors had been inconvenienced and that by now they were supposed to have occupied BH market which is behind Soweto market.
The minister who was accompanied by his Lusaka Province counterpart Japhen Mwakalombe, implored Zambia National Service (ZNS) officers to engage government on any challenges faced during the course of the works and that the Vice President Inonge Wina looked forward to commissioning the sites.
Mr Mwale, who toured four sites, told traders that Agro Fuel which is near Lumumba bus station and belonged to the Lusaka City Council would be turned into a market within 10 days saying it had the necessary amenities such as toilets.
The announcement was well received by jubilant marketeers who went into a frenzy and applauded the gesture.
“It is necessary that works are expedited to see to it that inconvenienced traders occupy these sites and resume as quickly as possible their businesses in a clean, safe and habitable environment,” he said.
Zambia National Service captain engineer Webby Mwabo said challenges faced included procuring of certain materials, rocks which required blasting and the late delivery of steel by the supplier.
Mr Mwakalombe assured traders that the PF was still a pro-poor government and that it desired to see marketeers doing their businesses in healthy
Other sites toured included, Simon Mwewa and Tokyo Way markets where site engineers assured the two ministers that progress would be made within two weeks.