Chikankata Town Council Secretary, Brian Mazuba, has condemned the conduct of some council security officers who went to collect levies at Shamayuwa market recently.
Mr Mazuba said the council police officers conducted themselves in an unprofessional manner instead of sensitising traders about the resolve by the local authority to start collecting market levies before charging on them.
Some council security officers are alleged to have destroyed merchandise for traders and closed shops at Shamayuwa market when they went to collect levies recently.
“Brutalizing marketers is not the best way to go. The people need to be sensitised on the need for them to comply with the law and on the need for them to pay levies as opposed to victimising them,” Mr Mazuba said.
He said the local authority is determined to provide the needed services to the people of Chikankata in a professional manner.
He told ZANIS that the council has regretted what happened at Shamayuwa market.
Some council security officers are alleged to have invaded Shamayuwa market, threw away merchandise and closed shops without first notifying the traders.
The marketers said they are not refusing to pay levies but complained about the manner in which council security officers behaved themselves.
“We are not refusing to pay the levies. But we are not happy with the way the council police behaved towards us,” the marketers complained.
To solve all these shenanigans levying, the council should just introduce banking or a direct debit system transaction to avoid all this misunderstanding between the council and the marketeers period.