Lilongwe market traders call off protests against street vendors

Lilongwe market vendors have called off protests against street vendors in the city after authorities promised to drive all vendors into markets.

The vendors staged demonstrations in Old Town, Lilongwe against the street vendors whom they accused of getting an upper hand in the trade over the market vendors.

They accused the government of deliberately failing to clear the street vendors off the streets, saying this forces people to buy items from the streets rather than the designated council markets.

Director of Commerce and Trade at Lilongwe city council Grecian Mbwambwa said the council would drive the street vendors out of the streets.

Kaunjika section of the main market vendors leader Lyson Chilunga said the protests have been called off after noticing that the council was now committed to sweep the streets of the vendors.

The ministry of Local government and Rural Development last month halted an exercise to sweep the streets of the vendors, citing the current political tension as the reason.