Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Gary Nkombo, has accused the previous Patriotic Front (PF) regime of exacerbating street vending during its time in office.
In his recent Ministry Statement made in Parliament, Mr. Nkombo stated that the PF initiated the allocation of land in the Central Business District (CBD) for clutter containers to be erected by vendors. Additionally, the PF allocated and charged for illegal trading spaces along the streets of the CBD.
Mr. Nkombo emphasized that the actions of the PF were in contradiction to the Market and Bus Station Act of 2007 of the laws of Zambia, which deems street vending as an illegal activity.
Defending his Ministry’s action to remove vendors from the Lusaka CBD last week, Mr. Nkombo said, “The problem of street vending was worsened by our colleagues in the previous government, who started allocating land in the CBD for the erection of clutter containers and further allocated and charged for illegal trading spaces along the streets of the CBD. This resulted in unsustainable levels of waste generation with no sanitary facilities to accommodate the increasing number of vendors. In a continued effort to address the growing problem of street vending, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, in the last quarter of 2022, directed the Lusaka City Council to undertake an audit of available market spaces (stands) in Lusaka as well as to conduct a head count of street vendors in the Central Business District.”
The Mazabuka MP stressed the importance of restoring sanity to the Central Business District, which has witnessed a proliferation of undesirable activities, including the illegal sale of alcohol in the streets.
“Engagements were undertaken with vendors through their respective Associations to build consensus and find a solution to street vending. The findings indicated that as of May 2023, the total number of trading spaces stood at 11,039, of which 6,624 are occupied. This means that we have 4,992 unoccupied trading spaces against 4,415 street vendors. This is a demonstration that we have sufficient trading spaces to accommodate those trading from the streets,” Mr. Nkombo explained.
In January 2023, measures were announced to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic and the potential outbreak of Cholera and other diarrheal diseases due to unsanitary conditions in trading places. Consequently, Mr. Nkombo directed the Lusaka City Council and all Local Authorities across the country to remove street vendors from undesignated trading places in accordance with the provisions of SI No.12 of 2018.
Following consultations and building consensus among stakeholders to address street vending and restore sanity in the CBD, the Ministry moved to clear street vendors in compliance with the Market and Bus Station Act of 2007.
Mr. Nkombo concluded, “The street vendors have been urged to go back to the markets that have empty spaces. I am sure members can bear witness to the beauty of Lusaka that the removal of street vendors has exposed. Not the beauty but the sanity that has been restored.”
Its very true that PF worsened the situation. However, Nkombo should learn to act without pointing fingers. Offer sustainable solutions in which he should involve both the vendors and the city councils. Progressive thinkers focus on solutions not on problems. Its not who brewed the Kachasu but why was it brewed?
If the Board of Directors (BoD) of a sinking corporation hires me as CEO to revive the business, then I start blaming the sacked CEO for everything that is still wrong in the present day, then it means I have failed to do the job, but resort to excuses and blame games. The next time I hear from the (BoD) will be a sacking of me.
Why? Because they hired me to revive the business, solve problems and bring in new ideas. And not to keep talking about the last Corporate Management Team. Its very easy to bark like a dog while in opposition. I had faith in Nkhombo but it appears the boots are too big for him.
They have failed……
The difference is that the sucked CEO leaves the company and as a new CEO you will complete control, but here you still have another branch of the corporate called Parliament, where there are still PF members. In addition, this is a company of 20 million not comparable to any corporate entity, Please spend a few minutes listening to Garry Nkombo’s speech to parliament, I think it was well received even by independent and PF MPs. He is NOT fingerpointing to PF, he is referring to the law that was breached by PF GRZ to get across the point that what he is doing is imposing existing law and should NOT be viewed negatively. Have heard any genuine PF leaders complaining? Please encourage them to succeed and not to fall out for misleading articles.
Well some of us know that it is poverty and un employement that increases street vending , you cannot point at one past government to blame it when there is an increase in hunger .
The cost of living has increased by 100 times with in the time UPND has come into power so practically we can reasonably say it is the government that decided to remove subsidies , that has made many more families to start street vending because they can’t any more manage to feed their families.
b> General Kanene
1. Feel free to disagree with me its healthy. Here you are being short sighted. At no time in my comment have I compared a corporate entity to a population of 20m. Sadly, that is your own thinking. I just gave a narrative. People kicked out PF, they wanted better. The onus is (never never) on the last regime or party that turns into opposition after losing. The onus is always on the new guys in town. Why should a person keep talking about his ex wife who wrecked his life, when he has found a new wife. You move on and look to the future. Spending too much time in the past is what stops people from progressing in life.
b> General Kanene
2. I am not politically affiliated.* Don’t align me to PF. There is good in HH which Lungu does *not have. I didn’t see Michael Sata as presidential and called him what he was. The only thing he had was *energy and *command. Archives are there to read at LSKT. I campaigned for multiparty as a student in London, put my face on BCC Nine Oclock news, knowing that if MMD lost, KK’s boys would come forme. When Chiluba showed his crookednes I called him *thief* without *fear or *favour. Archives are there at LSKT. Don’t get agitated when we critic UPND or HH. There is Good and Bad in UPND & HH. Just like there is good and bad in yourself because you human. Importance is to listen and improve. I dont post comments in support of PF.
@@@ GENERAL KANENE
Where was UPND in Parliament when PF where arm twisting this law. Why did you not challenge PF in parliament. I forgot HH was always instructing his MP’s to either boycott or vote no all the time. Today you are crying because you needed these street Vendors to vote for you.
Lets move forward instead of looking back
YOU took over government now its your problem Presunably you knew what you were taking on !!
# Tikki…… I agree with you. Straight to the point.Time to move forward
# General Kanene… …I completely disagree with you. You are just twisting words, giving excuses just like Ba Garry Khombo. What the hell are you mourning about?
Two years still blaming the former administration. People voted for you in order to solve problems like this. If people were happy with the situation under the PF they would have stayed with the PF. Just say you are now worried over your actions…. just be man enough instead of worrying about the next election …. satisfying the last election is more important than that.
Also remember that you took advantage of these same street vendors… remember? You assured them remember at the height of the 2021 campaign?
This ka Party Kwena…PF gives them sleepless nights.
The actions of the minister are to be commended
Statistics show that 40% of the Zambian population are illiterate, the previous comments bear that out. It is a good thing that the government has introduced free education.
Those statistics apply to you. You are one of the 40 % that are UNEDUCATED because you cant tell the difference between being illiterate and being uneducated. How can you call people who have written comments(previous comments) here as illiterate yet for them to WRITE means they can obviously read-and write? It just means you are UNEDUCATED even if you can read.
Nyudoni kuwayawayafye. 2 years in power still finger pointing? REALLY!!!!!!
People wasted votes for sure. That’s why we have never seen anything tangible since they assumed office. CDF? was introduced by Chiluba but they sing a long song like they started it. Civil servants recruitment, There have been civil servants since independence, all the previous 6 presidents recruited, what so special???
Reduce the cost of doing business
Reduce the cost of living
Increase liquidity in the economy
Pay local contractors their money
All the mess which PF created you promised to correct it so just correct it please. Just remove them.
The pf were nothing but a batch of lawless opportunists who abused the street vendors for their own pockets even for senior pf officers.
Just work instead of trying to justify your failures.
I do agree with you that your predeccessors were not doing enough for Zambians the reason why they removed them , hopping that you could better , but they are shocked that even the little they left you have taken away from the poor citizens .
The conclusion is that you are the worst government Zambia has ever had since 1964 in everything you have performed poorly .
The legalisation of street vending is akin to not abiding to human rights by banning lgbt rights. Until this country does the moral and legal right thing of allowing gay rights, nothing will work out. We will continue to live in poverty and remain behind the rest of the world. Countries that have legalised homosexuality are doing well socially and economically because they are inclusive societies. The gay community has a lot to offer both socially and financially.
You ban street vending without first analysing the number of market spaces vs number of vendors. Then you are asked on live radio if you know the statistics of vendors and you end up waffling because you have not done your homework. I have nothing against garry but sometimes I think he he acts before thinking. He is mr know it all
He is always in a very big hurry to show that he is clever. That is how he masks his own insecurity. Im sure you have met people who are quick to laugh at your errors. That way you have no time to laugh at their faults
Let’s not close eyes to reality! In the last two years of the ND rule more people have pushed out of employment and onto the street for survival. The harsh economic conditions have made people jobless and the only means of survival is street vending. Gary is passing the buck to the previous regime as they have always done. ND admin has never conceded defeat on anything that is negative but always claim credit when something is positive.
No wonder i hate Politicians….always pointing fingers and blaming each other…while in Opposition HH was pro street vending just to get votes….and the problem is not about PF…
It’s about Zambia as a country….we need to develop our country and create employment…but if we keep on rushing to IMF begging for Kaloba Zambia will never develop….soon you will start seeing vendors back on the streets especially during election campaign time
Stellar work Garry…Lusaka looks beautiful from the clips online this is how a city should look like I hope you have systems in place to keep it that way. Empower and equip council police to maintain order in CBD. Now you have to make the markets more attractive to increase footfall or else street vendors will be back.
Trust the troll to sing praises for upnd. It has always been a upnd supporter and used the KZ alias to decamp the pf. It changes sides all the time
N,E,Z is after you again…
Beautiful?? With all those unmaintained pavements full of holes?
Street vending is a sign of worsening economy…meaning there’s no job creation and no one is hiring…we need to build our economy….lets use our mines and other natural resources to develop Zambia not IMF….IMF needs Zambia to survive but Zambia doesn’t need IMF to survive
@ General Kanene
Kikikikiki your best friend New Educated Zambian (N.E.Z)…..Kaizar Zulu..W.a.g.n.e r the internet celebrity
Mmmmmmm when are going to stop blaming PF and do according to the promise which was in UPND Manifesto,is the Manifesto for upnd real or it was a hoax.Can someone please explain.Is upnd runing with its manifesto or what?This is very confusing.
One example 23 November 2014 promised street vendors that unlike the PF his government will not be chasing them from the streets