Chirundu main market gears for expansion

LILLIAN CHIKANDI writes

CHIRUNDU District Council secretary John Mwanza and some council officers yesterday took some time off to inspect the main market to familiarize and appreciate some challenges faced by marketeers who want the facility to be expanded.
Mr. Mwanza and his officers were led by the market chairman Mr. Dennis Simfukwe and the market committee leadership to a new proposed market extension site for chicken traders.
And the chicken traders have complained of lack of water, toilets causing people to answer the call of nature anywhere and thereby polluting the area.
They further complained of lack of shelter as they operated under trees.
Another trader thanked the council for allocating them the new site which was clean, airy and people easily conducted their businesses.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwanza has advised the traders that were allocated plots at the new market site not to start building permanent structures until they finished paying for them at K1, 500 each.
Mr. Mwanza told the traders that the first thing to be built was a toilet that seemed to be the priority now.
Some traders have demanded for the maintenance and reopening of the water pump but Mr. Mwanza said some things were very cheap to use but expensive to maintain, adding however that he would engage Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) over the issue of supply of water.
They traders also appealed for new garbage bins because the ones currently in use had outlived their usefulness.
While inspecting some structures some traders disclosed that some ex-Chirundu town council officers were illegally dishing out plots to unsuspecting buyers.
Mr. Mwanza expressed disappointment and promised to take remedial action over the matter
ENDS