Masebo lashes out at Sardanis
Masebo lashes out at SardanisBy Patson Chilemba and George Chellah
Wednesday April 18, 2007 [04:00]
LOCAL government minister Sylvia Masebo has said it is unfortunate for a person of Andrew Sardanis' stature to encourage anarchy by supporting street vending. And Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata bragged that he was biggest customer of street vendors. Reacting to Lusaka businessman Sardanis, who on Saturday hailed street vendors for their initiative since their trading spaces had been taken up by foreign traders, Masebo said Sardanis was not being factual because not all the vendors were on the street on account of shortage of market spaces.
"It's unfortunate that a man of his standing can encourage anarchy in the country where there are laws," Masebo said. "People are complaining that most land has been given to foreigners the way that land has been given to him. So is he saying that people should go and settle on that land because he's a foreigner and the land is big?" she asked.
Masebo urged Sardanis to comment on matters based on facts and not ignorance.
"Some of those vendors who have been removed from the markets to pave way for the construction, that is a different group and are going to be catered for. There are more that 10,000 street vendors on the streets of Lusaka and yet you find that those that were removed to pave way were only 600," she said.
And Masebo said her appeal to the vendors to vacate the streets was final. But the vendors said they would blame Masebo for any damage to their property.
A vendor Lillian Musonda said most marketeers were people of little income and that they could not afford to rent stalls at markets that were being constructed.
Another vendor Brighton Phiri said there were no market stalls at places they were ordered to move to.
And during Muvi-TV's Eyeball to Eyeball programme, Sata bragged that he was the biggest customer of street vendors. "These people are using initiative. They don't want their children to be as uneducated as them," he said.
He said his party supported street vendors because the government was not capable of providing employment. "As long as they cannot provide employment for street vendors nobody should touch them," said Sata.
Labels: ANDREW SARDANIS, MARKETEERS, SYLVIA MASEBO
posted by MrK @ 3:53 AM
3 Comments:
Typical neoliberal thought patterns. Glorify the top jobs and corporate business, and look down upon ordinary work and SMEs. What would Sardanis stature have to do with his admiration for the business spirit of 'streetvendors'?
" "People are complaining that most land has been given to foreigners the way that land has been given to him. So is he saying that people should go and settle on that land because he's a foreigner and the land is big?" she asked. "
Why doesn't Masebo question why land has been given to foreigners? If Sardanis stands up for streetvendors, how does this make him a hypocrite? For speaking out of school with the neoliberal elite?
Mr. K
Thanks for your comments.
People like Masebo fail to see how adaptable these vendors are and really we can learn lesson from them despite the fact that many of them have no business management degrees but a nose for business. One just has to look at the evolution from Mishanga to general merchandise.
Targeting Sardanis and what land he has is totally missing the plot. But then if you put yourself in the position where Masebo and others think they are the only ones who think what do you expect.
Aluta continua....
" People like Masebo fail to see how adaptable these vendors are and really we can learn lesson from them despite the fact that many of them have no business management degrees but a nose for business. One just has to look at the evolution from Mishanga to general merchandise. "
In most countries, there is a whole range of trade schools, below the level of college. There should be business schools to prepare people for running a store, etc.
Also, I wonder if they are unionized.
On the neoliberal mindset - there seems to be a hostility to the very people who should be constituting the economy - marketeers, farmers, ordinary citizens. Are they playing to the IMF? Anyway, when Mugabe runs down stalls and homes, he is villified. When the same happens in Zambia, nothing.
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