Maravi

ZANAMA accuses govt of using market boards to employ cadres

ZANAMA accuses govt of using market boards to employ cadres
By Correspondent
Sunday December 09, 2007 [03:00]

ZAMBIA National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA) chairman Elvis Nkandu has said that market boards are meant to employ MMD cadres so that they start controlling the markets. But local government minister Sylvia Masebo has said that the new deal government cannot sink so low as to plant cadres in markets through markets boards. During a meeting at Chisokone ‘A’ on Friday afternoon, Nkandu vowed that his association would continue with its protests over the new market Act.

He said that when market boards are formed, the MMD government would ensure that only its cadres and those who supported it were allowed to sit on the boards.

Nkandu said those who are perceived to be opposition Patriotic Front (PF) cadres or opposed what the MMD government was doing would not be allowed to sit on the boards.

He said his association would not allow cadres to run markets and would ensure that it continued to fight the market Act now and in future.

The bus station and market Act states that All bus stations and markets in the country must be run by management boards and no association should operate within the station or the market.

Nkandu said the only way to fight the new market Act, which has since become law was by staging demonstrations and protests and he urged marketers to be ready to be arrested as they stage protests.

“These boards are meant to employ MMD cadres so that they start controlling the markets. They will only allow MMD cadres to sit on these boards and those who support them. They cannot allow PF members or cadres to sit on the boards because they know they will be opposing them,” he said.

Nkandu said the new law does not serve the interests of marketeers.

He also said the government should not employ people who were retrenched from liquidated companies like Zambia Airways, United Bus of Zambia, Dunlop and others as accountants of the boards.

But Masebo said it was unfortunate that Nkandu was misleading marketeers on the issue of market boards because he wanted to continue stealing from poor and ignorant women.

She accused Nkandu of being stubborn and arrogant and warned that his association risked being de-registered.

Masebo said Nkandu’s stubbornness over the market boards was a clear indication that he was getting a lot of money from marketeers and feared that once boards were put in place, he would stop getting money from marketers.

Labels: ELVIS NKANDU, MARKETING BOARDS, SYLVIA MASEBO, ZANAMA

posted by MrK @ 6:44 AM