UKA DEMANDS NEW TRADING PLACE FOR AFFECTED TRADERS

UNITED Kwacha Alliance (UKA) says 400 traders whose makeshift shops have been demolished should to be taken to an alternative trading place immediately.

Alliance Communications chairperson, Jackson Silavwe, who is also Golden Party Zambia president said the affected traders cannot be thrown on the street as they will become destitute.

“We are aware that up to 4000 store owners have been affected by the Hakainde Hichilema´s government decision to demolish the stores here at Munyaule and measures must be taken to immediately to accommodate the traders,” Mr Silavwe said.

He said UKA believes that the best thing to do now is mitigate the damage and offer the marketeers an alternative lease of livelihood to survive.

“In Zambia one bread winner is known to take care of at least ten members of the extended family hence the reason the 4000 displaced and disposed marketeers represent thousands of impoverished Zambians that shall sink further into poverty by President Hichilema´s heartless action.

And Mr Kalaba said: “We sympathise with our people our suffering people that have lost property here and we feel saddened at the fact that the government cannot empathise with suffering Zambians given the brutal action they have taken to demolish your stores.”

Mr Kalaba wondered how will the affected traders going to provide for their families following the destruction of their property.

Meanwhile, Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa has condemned the demolition of Munyaule market by the Lusaka City Council.

Mr Sampa said the act by the council was uncalled for.

He said the council was supposed to find an alternative trading place before demolishing the market.

Mr Sampa said when he was Mayor of Lusaka he gave a condition that only if an alternative trading place could be found that was when the marketeers could be removed.

He said the traders they maybe illegally trading in the market but it was humane to offer them an alternative market before throwing them in cold.

They maybe trading illegally but it is wiser and humane to offer alter native first than throwing them in the cold, “he said.

Mr Sampa said the affected people were bread winners and many families would be affected.

But UPND deputy media director Cheelo Katambo said it was unfortunate that politicians were politicising the demolition of the Munyaule shops which the Lusaka City Council had been planning and warning for a long time.

He said it was worth noting that the marketeers were trading without a sanitary facility which endangered the lives of people.