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Two days after the High Court ordered the Northern Region’s Mzuzu City Assembly to halt the reallocation of trading spaces at the Taifa Market, construction of new stalls and hawkers has intensified with prominent politicians from the ruling UDF and business magnets grabbing spaces previously occupied by traders whose wares were destroyed by fire last week.
But Mzuzu High Court Registrar Martha Chizuma said on Thursday the city assembly and all those involved in re-demarcating of plots after the injunction are likely to face contempt of court.
“I am shocked that the re-demarcation process is progressing when there is an injunction to that effect. The injunction is self-explanatory that whomsoever will disobey it shall be liable for prosecution and may be held in contempt of court and is liable to committal. So the court will excise its powers to prosecute those that have flouted the order,” warned Chizuma.
The political confusion has heightened because of rumours that President Bakili Muluzi will visit the place to give handouts to victimised vendors as was the case after a similar incident in Karonga last year.
The market initially had 419 traders but with rumours have it that number has risen to 680.
The Taifa market vendors allocation committee chair Skyvinie Dzonzi confirmed in an interview on Thursday that allocating the plots to the vendors has become difficult because there is too much politics in it.
He said: “It is very unfortunate that prominent businessmen in the city and very senior political figures have secured spaces without following the proper channels. Poor people are suffering and cannot do anything about it since even City Assembly officials are failing to act on the issue.”
The vendors through lawyer Dave Lameck this week obtained an injunction against the city assembly to stop reallocation because they suspected dishonesty in the exercise.
Mzuzu High Court Judge Rizinie Mzikamanda granted an injunction restraining the assembly, its agents, servants or whosoever from going ahead in re-demarcating the plots for benches and reallocation of the plots.
But the reconstruction of the market went ahead despite the court order.
Mzuzu City Assembly Chief Executive Samson Chirwa could not be reached for comment on Thursday as his phone was switched off. The same was the case with Mayor Egbert Chibambo.
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