(TIMES) Soweto Market stall mess: Which way?

Soweto Market stall mess: Which way?
By Sam Phiri

CONFUSION, fear, and uncertainty have all gripped traders at Zambia’s largest trading market, Soweto in Lusaka, as the local authority embarks on a massive programme to re-allocate the stands at the market.

So far, quite a number of unpleasant incidents have taken place ever since the Republican President Rupiah Banda officially opened the market this year.
Fear and uncertainty has mainly gripped those said to have been involved in the alleged irregular offer of the stalls to traders.

In his powers, Local Government and Housing Minister, Ben Tetamashimba was forced to immediately nullify the whole allocation process of stalls and declare it null and void.

Mr Tetamashimba is citing lack of transparency by the Soweto market Development Committee (SMDC) as the main reason for the nullification.

According to some sources and Mr Tetamashimba himself, SMDC allocated multiple stalls to market representatives and themselves at the expense of the deserving traders.

According to records acquired by the Times, about 600 keys to the stalls were given out and are still in the hands of the traders while about 1200 people are in possession of offer letters to the stalls.

It is also known that some people gave in as much as K60 million cash as payment for a single stall though Lusaka City Council (LCC) authorities declined to disclose the total amount in custody of the local authority.

Without doubt, Mr Tetamashimba and Mr Henry Kapata have a delicate and litigious issue at hand and have got to grab the bull by its horns if transparency has to be exercised though the LCC has already started taking cover of the whole issue through its assistant public relations manager Habeenzu Mulunda who disclosed that LCC had set up a table in Nakatindi hall for refunds.

Within this short period of time after the offer, some traders have up-lifted their shops to suit their business corporate image-value addition to the existing structure on top of the offer fee.

Though the offer fee might be refundable, another contentious issue is likely to be about the face-lifts and the value added to the stalls.

Mr Mulunda however declined to give a comment on what would happen to the people who have allegedly added value to the shops saying such queries can only be addressed by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

Though references to the (higher authority) might be chained well, the litigious question is likely to still stand; -are they the deserving occupants if the system is to be carefully followed?

Despite being beneficiaries of the first offer, many traders make a clean breast that the selection was not done in a transparent manner in the physical absence of the original document containing names of those that were moved out of old Soweto to pave way for the construction of the new structure.

It is not clear who has the list of the people who were initially displaced to pave way for the construction of the ultra-modern market, which is said to be the biggest in the sub Sahara region.

Though this is the only way of showing transparency and perhaps the only lasting solution to the current issue, the register is nowhere to be found.
No one would want to assume responsibility of the list looking at what issues surround it.

The LCC is playing ignorance on the whereabouts of this vital document that might help resolve this trivial but controversial issue to satisfy all the affected parties.

Many street vendors who have rocked the Lumumba filter lane, making its relevance practically die out, have a serious claim justifying their continued presence on the streets.

Their argument is based on the fact that their names are on the list of the initially displaced registered traders from Soweto and that can only leave the streets if they are allocated with stands to continue their businesses.

Francis Manda, a street vendor on Lumumba road, has vowed to remain on the street if he does not receive an offer letter to trade at the new market.

Though about 1,800 offers are said to have been given out, a street survey by the Times reviewed that more than three quarters of the traders on Lumumba Street have no offer letters for stalls and are seemingly giving up hope.

Christine Mutonga is one of the street vendors found selling sweet potatoes and fruits, braving the dazzling hot sun with a baby on her back along Lumumba road.
She claims to be on the list of the displaced traders but never received an offer letter to trade at the new market.

“Sibangationeko ife, ndise bandani bamene sitiziba nacizungu. Batenga chabe bamene bakamba na mcizungu so tizankhala mwamene muno ngati sibazatipasa malo mu market ya nyowani” [They can’t consider us, who are we who do not even know how to speak English, they just concider those who can communicate in English. We will stay here if we are not given space in the new market] said Christine.

The face of the city seems not to change and shockingly more businesses are seemingly mushrooming each passing day in the name of being on the list of the Soweto displaced traders.
This could be another thorn in the LCC’s flesh.

LCC’s hands remain tied such that the approved budget of over K2 billion to carry out the exercise of moving vendors out of the streets will not take off should the list of those initially moved from Soweto remains hidden.

“ We cannot move in to remove these people (street vendors) this time until we finish the allocation exercise,” said Mulunda

With the nullification of the exercise by the Government, resistance, uncertainty and tension are seemingly growing among the traders who were allocated with stalls and are now being directed to surrender the offer letters and keys for a cheque refund.

According to the LCC by Press time, no one had returned the offer letter and the keys to the council and claim for a refund - something of concern to LCC.

“People must not be stubborn, we are urging all those in possession of the keys and letters to comply with Government directive by bringing back the keys and letters. They will still stand a chance of getting the stalls back once an approved system is put in place. But if they choose to remain stubborn, they should be wary that they are dealing with the government and might lose a lot,” Mulunda said.

LCC says it has created a deliberate refund desk at the civic center hall to facilitate the refund, retrieval of offer letters and surrendering of keys. Though LCC claims that the stalls would be offered back to those that are to temporarily lose them due to the ministerial order, shivers have been sent across the traders.
They seem not to believe anyone at this time. All they seem to be interested in is the custody of the offer letter and the key.

One of the offered traders Nach Siyatwembo told Times that the whole exercise has been frustrating and inconveniencing.

“This is the worst thing I have ever seen. The system of the committee (SMDC) and the council has failed us. We expected that the old list be followed and priorities be followed as well according to what was planned, but this is something else! Talking of the beatings, it’s shameful and unZambian…” Mr Siyatwembo said.

Another issue which sounds strange and somewhat unwelcome by traders is the refund mode through cheques - a method adopted by LCC for what they termed as (security measures).

“How do they expect us to accept (bouncing cheques) when they demanded for hard cash, which we complied and gave them? We need the money the way they received it from us and we will give them the keys” said one trader who refused to be identified for fear that he might be denied a stall in the next round.

It is not certain as to whether the keys would save the intended purpose knowing that some people have already duplicated the keys posing a security hazard to those who might get the shops in the next round of offer.

It is hoped that Mr Tetamashimba and LCC will do something very soon to clear the winds at the Newly contracted multi-million dollar ultra modern Market so that Zambians should trade with a smile. After all it remains a Zambian market for Zambians.