Kamatipa market in facelift

By NATION REPORTER ABOUT K60,000 has been spent on the rehabilitation of an ablution block at Kamatipa market in Kawama ward of Chimwemwe constituency in Kitwe.

Kawama ward Councillor Bonnie Kaonga said in an interview at the weekend the rehabilitation of the ablution block was the beginning of other major rehabilitation works to be done at the market which would include putting up a new shelter.

Mr Kaonga, who is also Patriotic Front (PF) Copperbelt Provincial Vice-Youth Chairman, said the rehabilitation of the ablution block was being done using resources from the Constituency Development Funds (CDF).

"The good thing is that the rehabilitation of the ablution bock has been done. The marketeers were using a dilapidated ablution block without running water. As a councillor, I will try my best," Mr Kaonga said.

The councillor said he was also planning to embark on a project to rehabilitate the market itself which was in a dilapidated state.

He said marketeers were facing a lot of challenges because of trading in a dilapidated market and so it was imperative that the structure was given a facelift.

"We started with the rehabilitation of the ablution block because we believe a toilet is very important at a public facility. So after the toilet, we will embark on a project to rehabilitate the market itself.

“The market is a ramshackle and needs urgent rehabilitation works. So we will use some money from the ward funds to rehabilitate the market. Well-wishers can also come on board," he said.

He said market facilities were the industries for the informal sector and should be guarded jealously by every responsible and right-thinking trader.

Mr Kaonga said government was spending a lot of money on constructing new markets and rehabilitating old ones and so, it was important that such facilities were guarded jealously.

"Marketeers should take it upon themselves to fight vandalism and improve security in the markets. When the old shelter collapsed at Chisokone market, President Edgar Lungu supported the rehabilitation works by funding the works.

"This showed that he wants marketeers to trade in a better environment. So it is for this reason that I am urging traders to guard market facilities jealously because these are the industries for the informal sector," he said.