ORDERLY TRADING

A WELL-REGULATED trade pattern in the country presents sanity and harmonious interaction between sellers and buyers in a manner that ensures maximum satisfaction for both parties. In Zambia, adequate legislation is replete to regulate trading in various forms ranging from manufacturing, wholesaling to retailing in malls, stand-alone shops, stalls and markets. Regulation also covers persons trading as hawkers. However, there has been downright disregard of laws for quite some time now due to a number of factors that require to be addressed immediately. Some traders ignorantly believe that it is within their right to trade in the manner they wished on the streets without paying a fee or obtaining a licence. Yet others are very much aware of the legal requirements but elect to ignore statutes to unfairly maximise profit. Others resort to mobile street vending because they have genuinely failed to secure a proper trading allocation. It is therefore gratifying that areas have been designated to accommodate traders who previously peddled their merchandise in a haphazard manner. In Lusaka, Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale is desirous that the three sites – Agro Fuel, Simon Mwewa and Tokyo Way Markets – are expeditiously upgraded. In Ndola, street vendors have been relocated to Makoli area. At this critical time, it is incumbent upon local authorities to enhance awareness among street vendors on legal requirements regarding trading. The councils must make it abundantly clear that it is illegal for any one person to ply their trade in undesignated areas. Street vending in the fashion it was being done was an abrogation of the law. It is well understood that street vendors derive income for their livelihood from trading, but certainly doing it in an illegal way is not justified. They must not cut corners, but operate within the provisions of the law. According to the Market and Bus Station Act, all markets and bus stations must be run by the councils while traders are required to operate therein unless they obtain hawkers’ licences to move about with their merchandise. This piece of legislation empowers local authorities to issue licences or permits to pedlars, hawkers and marketeers for the purpose of operating in a market or streets. It must not be any street but that which is designated as a stretch within which to trade. Secondly, the local authorities and statutory agencies will need to implement the Public Health Act and the Environmental Management Act of 2011 while at the same time enhancing awareness about these pieces of legislation. Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) must wake up from slumber and actively implement the Environmental Management Act and also strengthen its communications unit to enhance awareness. Meanwhile, Central Government, councils and the Zambia National Service must hasten the process of setting up new sites to quickly settle vendors who have lost out on business for the two weeks running. It is obligatory for local authorities to provide a conducive trading environment with attendant facilities for the maximum comfort of traders. Sufficient lavatories and clean water must be available in trading sites. While all these measures are being instituted, residents must not buy items from street vendors who are occasionally sneaking into undesignated areas. They must instead alert security officers to pounce on traders who are transgressing the law. It has been observed in many instances that vendors are covertly getting back on streets after 17:00 hours. This is the time when most people are knocking off and security officers leave their operating points. Such an ugly pattern could degenerate into full-scale and uncontrolled street vending if not checked. Security personnel may not continue patrolling the streets, hence ordinary citizens must play their role and institute citizens’ arrest if need be. Time has come for this country to rid the ugly pattern of uncontrolled street vending and erecting of scarred structures near busy roads. There is a new lease of life in public places of the capital city and other towns that are now free of menacing street vendors.