City Market workers protest dismissal of Manager.
SCORES of City Market council workers yesterday protested against Lusaka Mayor Miles Sampa’s decision to terminate the contract for market manager Mwenya Matafwali.
But when contacted on the matter, Mr Sampa declined to comment stating that he would not engage with the media until the end of 2020.
“As I earlier indicated I will not talk to the press until the end of this year,” Mr Sampa said.
The irate workers who stormed the Daily Nation officers in buses, demanded that Mr Sampa rescinds his decision.
They said it was uncalled for, for the mayor to fire a hardworking person who had helped to change the welfare of the workers and replace him with a person they did not know, a Nalukwi Minyoi.
The workers claimed that during Mr Matafwali’s tenure, things had significantly changed and they were worried that if another person was engaged then a number of things would be affected.
Mr Chanda Bwalya, who represented the protesters, said Mr Matafwali had made sure that all the 250 workers got salaries on time unlike other workers from other bus stations.
Mr Bwalya indicated that workers were not happy with the decision, therefore, it was important the mayor and the Lusaka City Council management rescinded it without fail. He said if Mr Sampa goes ahead to impose
Nalukwi Minyoi as the manager then he did not have the interest of the workers at heart.
And Ms Mercy Mole who is a cashier complained bitterly said for past years the workers used to stay for five months with being paid but when Mr Matafwali was appointed, he had managed to pay them every month.
Ms Annie Makungu, who is also a cashier said “We need
Mwenya Matafwali back, we don’t need any other manager, we want him because of his leadership style, as workers we are very happy with what he has been doing for us, this man has cleared all the arrears which were left by past managers.”
She said workers do not see any reason to fire someone who had the interest of workers at heart.