TRADERS AT CHINSALI’S OLD MARKET CONCERNED WITH DELAYED OPERATIONALISATION OF NEW SHELTER

MARKETEERS at Chinsali’s Old Market in Muchinga Province have bemoaned the delay in the operationalisation of the new market shelter.

Market Chairperson, Charity Mwansa, says the structure is now turning into a white elephant due to the council’s delay in officially opening it for business.

Ms Mwansa told the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Chinsali today that many marketeers have been trading along the road despite having a market shelter constructed for them.She charged that there is need for the local authority to quickly address the issues surrounding the delayed operationalisation of the trading facility, adding that trading space has been a challenge for traders for a long time now.

“Besides the delayed opening of this market, the structure is also small and cannot accommodate many of us here and so we actually want the council to consider expanding it before opening it to the public,” she lamented.

And Chisanga Mukuka, another concerned trader, appealed to the local authority to consider rectifying some construction defects on the shelter before it is operationalised.

Ms Mukuka noted that the quality of works exhibited on the structure are not satisfactory, stressing that some of the materials used are not strong enough.

“As much as we want it to start working, let the council control these things including the toilet building which is too small to cater for the number of marketeers and other traders here,” she said.

Meanwhile, Chinsali Municipal Council Public Relations Officer, Elizabeth Mupanga, disclosed that the construction of the old market shelter is 100 percent complete.

Ms Mupanga, however added that the other thing remaining is connecting water and completing the toilet building which is at 85 percent completion stage.

She further explained that the surrounding is also still being worked on adding that the local authority has since engaged the Zambia Correctional Service to help in ensuring that landscaping of the market area is done expeditiously.

The Chinsali Old Market shelter project started in November 2019 and has remained dormant since its completion.