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| National |
| Vendors fight UDF officials |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda and Stevie Bombeya, 07 July 2004
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09:16:48
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A celebration outing of street vendors from Blantyre, UDF officials and city assembly bosses in Mangochi turned ugly last Wednesday when the traders rioted after realising that the feast was arranged to ask them to get into the flea market.
There was chaos as the irate vendors deflated tyres of vehicles belonging to the ruling party and the city assembly after officials insisted on talking about getting the vendors into the market. But the vendors wanted to celebrate the ruling party’s victory in the May 20 election.
A councillor who accompanied the vendors but asked for anonymity, said initially the function was arranged by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Jafali Mussa, who was supposed to brief the vendors on the advantages of keeping the city clean but the UDF officials “deliberately changed the whole idea and politicised it”.
He said 28 vendors drawn from Limbe and 34 from Blantyre travelled in assembly vehicles to Mangochi. They were accompanied by deputy mayor Isaac Nyakamera, some top assembly bosses, UDF Blantyre district governor Eric Chiwaya and Limbe district governess Dorothy Masinga.
“The vendors were cheated that the party [UDF] had arranged a get together party to celebrate the UDF alliance victory but when we arrived at the lake and started talking of the possible move from the streets, pandemonium began. They caused havoc at the resort and deflated the tyres because they felt cheated,” said the councillor.
He said the vendors were given K3,000 ($28) as overnight allowance and their accommodation and food was paid for.
“The trip was made to the lake on Tuesday afternoon and after being given K3,000 each as night allowances on Wednesday, the vendors said the money was too little and they hijacked one of the assembly vehicles and returned to Blantyre where they arrived at around 3 AM,” said the councillor.
Deputy mayor Isaac Nyakamera confirmed the incident on Tuesday, saying he was sad that the vendors behaved the way they did and especially that they continue to refuse to be accommodated in the K46 million Flea Market which Press Trust built for them.
Nyakamera said when he sensed danger at the lake, he telephoned Mussa not to appear at the function.
“It was tense I tell you,” said Nyakamera.
But he said the assembly will make sure that the vendors are still moved to the market because “If we do not convince them to move peacefully, we will have to come to a time when it will be difficult for us to compromise”.
Nyakamera said the vendors in Limbe will be allocated one suitable place to trade.
While confirming the trip and the fracas, Chiwaya said the UDF vehicles were not tampered with saying “the vendors were fighting with the assembly and not the UDF as a party”.
“They didn’t have a problem with us but the chief executive of the assembly,” said Chiwaya.
Another councillor said while the Blantyre City Assembly spent about K880,000 for the trip to the lake, excluding fuel expenses, it had an overdraft of over K17 million.
He revealed that the spending spree took place soon after the assembly received government funding.
The councillor also said telephone lines were disconnected for over a week due to outstanding bills. He added that water supply was also cut off at some of the city’s establishments such as the markets, the Civic Centre and the Fire Brigade.
The councillor also said this is not the first time for the assembly to lavishly spend on the vendors. He said a year ago the assembly invited the vendors to the lake and spent almost K 1.2 million.
He said the vendors were also treated to a luncheon at a Blantyre hotel where more money was spent and allowances given.
But added that while this is happening, the assembly struggled to pay its staff in May.
The city loses revenue because it does not collect anything from the vendors on the streets.
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