Lusaka City Council (LCC) has warned of stern action against people trading around cemeteries.
LCC Public relations Manager Chanda Makanta says doing business at the burial place is illegal and that perpetrators of the act will be prosecuted once apprehended.
Mrs. Makanta told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that the council will not treat lightly people who are deliberately violating council laws.
She said the council police are aware of the illegal traders and will soon pounce on them any time soon.
Mrs. Makanta disclosed that recently the council police confiscated merchandise from traders around the cemeteries in Lusaka warning that this time around, the council will ensure that perpetrators face the law.
She has since appealed to members of the public not to buy from such traders saying it is morally wrong to buy or sell food at the burial place because this is disrespectful to the dead.
Mrs. Makanta wondered how people eat and drink when others are mourning their beloved ones and advised that those who want to trade should acquire trading licenses and space in markets.
She noted that the trend of trading around the burial places is against the Zambian tradition and should be condemned by all well meaning Zambians.
She said that the council is committed to making the city clean but cannot manage to curb street vending and illegal trading alone but with the help of all Zambians.
ZANIS
Is this Tujilijili the woman is carrying?
This is nothing but hot air. If you know that what they are doing is illegal, why not pounce on them? Just shut up!!
Just let them be ,they sale their mechandise to the living and not the dead.It is just a simple philosophy, life goes on
We keeping the dead company nayimwe. Ninshi kanshi????
What’s with utujilijili? Even at the cemetery. Look at the bright side, at least ku la lyako ichisali whilst people are burying each other. Imagine the soothing sound of ichisali…. ahsg… ahsg… as you watch people crying.
This is ingenuity at its best, there was a demand and some attentive and creative soul thought of satisfying that demand. The best council can do is legalize these traders, why not clean up their place of trading, ask them to meet basic hygiene standards, and levy them a small fee? if the council is unable they could contract the same traders to do it themselves. We need to start looking anew at some of these things, I used to vend stuff myself and was always harassed by ba council Police and the horses (Finance, UTH, Civic Center Bus stop, etc)
Its a good marketing strategy…On any burial day Chingwegele hosts an average of 2000 mourners if not more 50% of which needs Utujilili at the end of the day,with the scotching heat and the weeping and wailing people needs Madzi to quench their first…Afetr all many mourners are just time passers ..they have nothing do to with the dead…Ask one who has died …’Kaya bakambe ati ni mu guyz chabe’ what has killed him nivele ati ..’TB’. Thats the Zambian way of doing things ….very soon people will build tumtemba right in the cemetery, some will be trading as ‘Pafwa Bantu pashala Bantu General Dealers……LCC just give them their license and get your TAX….
Pafwa Bantu Pashala Bantu General Dealers : we deal in brand new and second hand coffins, used tomb stones. we also help to put your loved ones to rest with a smile…
Trading at cemeteries should be Duty free to show sympathy for the mourners…