KCC PLANS TO DEMOLISH 200 SHOPS AT KITWE’S CHISOKONE MARKET

THE Kitwe City Council (KCC) reportedly set to demolish more than 200 structures on the frontage of Green market of Chisokone market, a decision that has left traders infuriated leading to the summoning of Kings Church Pastor Duncan Simuchimba by the police.

Pastor Simuchimba along with Pastor Enoch Chifuka have been against the council decision to demolish the more than 200 shops, describing the plans as an ulterior motive aimed at grabbing the shops from the owners to sell them to their relatives and political cadres

Pastor Simuchimba yesterday confirmed that he had been summoned to appear at the Kitwe District Police Headquarters on Saturday, but had refused and instead decided that he would appear today.

When asked whether he had any idea of why the police were summoning him, Pastor Simuchimba said he suspected it was his firm stance against the council’s decision to relocate the more than 200 marketeers and have their structures demolished to pave way for reconstruction of new and modern structures

Pastor Simuchimba, the coordinator of the traders at Chisokone Market said he was however not intimidated or threatened by the summoning and was set to a appear at the District Police Headquarters for anything

“I have been summoned by the Police to appear at the District Police Headquarters. They summoned me to appear on (Saturday) but I told them that I will go there on Monday (today). I don’t know why they have summoned me, but I suspect it is the same issue of Chisokone market where the council wants to demolish more than 200 structures on the frontage of Green market. Well, I am not scared by such issues because my conscious is clear and am fighting a battle against selfish individuals who want to grab market stalls from the vulnerable marketeers,” Pastor Simuchimba said And Pastor Enoch Chifuka said the whole scheme of demolishing the structures at the Green market was in bad faith because there was an ulterior motive to grab shops from the marketeers and give them to their relatives and party cadres

Pastor Chifuka said the cholera outbreak was being used as an excuse to demolish the structures because the whole thing of demolishing the structures had started a long time ago before Cholera outbreak

He said demolishing structures was not the solution to preventing cholera, but sensitizing marketeers to keep their surrounding was important.

“Cholera is not prevented by demolishing structures at the market. No, it is prevented by among other things, engaging people to keep their surroundings clean and health. If it is genuinely fighting cholera, the council should have started with engaging marketeers on the importance of keeping their surroundings clean and also procuring Chlorine. But because their interest was to use the cholera outbreak for ulterior motives, they have decided to issue a notice to demolish the structure s. This idea is purely aimed at grabbing shops from marketeers,” Pastor Chifuka said

And marketeers are up in arms against the council over its decision to demolish the shops