Kitwe council overcomes resistance by traders, demolishes shops in Chisokone

The Kitwe City Council says it has demolished a number of shops at a piece of land earmarked for the building of a market shelter.

The shop owners had resisted the demolition but in the early hours of Wednesday, the council police in conjunction with state police ambushed traders and demolished structures to pave the way for the construction of a market shelter.

In a statement on Wednesday, Council Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Lupikisha, who could not disclose the number of shops affected said the demolition exercise was was successful.

“The construction works at Chisokone green market have resumed following the successful clearance of the site early this morning,” Lupikisha said.

He revealed that the clearance exercise was undertaken to facilitate the smooth completion of the works by the contractor, who was expected to finish the project within a month.

Lupikisha said no injuries were recorded during the operation.

“A notice for traders to relocate to the partially done shelter was done on February 1, 2024 and expired on February 8, 2024,” he stated.

Works at Chisokone Green Market stopped in May 2023 to allow for a series of consultations with various stakeholders, including the affected traders, to address their concerns and ensure their welfare.

From July, 2023, engagements with the affected traders were done and an agreement was reached to allow the contractor to finish the shelter.

However, the council said the contractor couldn’t start works because the it needed to consult further.

“It should be noted that the local authority relocated some of the traders to the Chisokone one-way as a temporary measure to ensure that the works are done on time and with minimal disruption,” he said.

Lupikisha noted that traders had endured a lot of hardships because of the rain and the scotching sun, hence it was imperative to relocate them back into the market after the completion of the shelter.

The completion of the market shelter is expected ton improve the sanitation and hygiene standards in the market.

He insisted that council was committed to providing a conducive and safe trading environment for the marketers and the public during and after the completion of the market shelter.

“KCC appeals to all traders and customers to cooperate with the council and the contractor during this period of works,” Lupikisha said.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR!