Lilongwe vendors warned against illegal settlement

Vendors who have set up their benches between Lilongwe Town Hall and Lilongwe River have sternly been warned that the city will take drastic action against them because they are breaking city bylaws of illegal settlement.

Vendors putting up structures for trading
Vendors putting up structures for trading
A huge number of vendors busy putting up their stands near Lilongwe River and Town Hall
A huge number of vendors busy putting up their stands near Lilongwe River and Town Hall

Vendors in the capital of Malawi have invaded land between Lilongwe Town Hall and Bridgeview Hotel on one side, and Lilongwe River on the other, setting up their benches as they get ready to start trading their merchandise.

The vendors claim the City Assembly allocated the piece of land to them so that they stop plying their trade along the streets.

Vendors Clyton Lawani, Denis Chikanda and Everson Chisulo, who are part of the group setting up benches at the controversial site, concurred saying the place was allocated to them by the city authorities and vendos’ chairman, a Mr Namponya.

But when asked bring the chairman for an interview, the vendors found it difficult to locate him.

For months now, the City Assembly assisted by the police has been engaged in running battles with the vendors who trade along the streets as opposed to their dedicated places.

Reacting to the news, Lilongwe City Assembly, through its Director of Commerce, Genscher Mbwabwa, said they have not allocated any place to vendors and that those preparing the land between Town Hall and Lilongwe River are doing it illegally.

“The City has not allocated any land to the vendors. We told those vendors who are selling fruits such as bananas to stop roaming in the streets and settle at Lizulu market along Old Town – City Centre Road, but apparently the others have taken advantage to take the space which they were not given,” explained Director of Commerce, Gemsley Mbwabwa.

Mbwabwa continued saying: “Most of those vendors illegally plying their trade along the streets have benches for trading at the designated markets but they say they don’t sell enough because they think they are far away from where people pass by.”

He said most of them such as second hand clothes and shoes sellers have their proper places unlike fruit sellers such as banana sellers, and that is the reason city wanted to allocate a small piece to the fruit sellers a piece of land at Lizulu market opposed Toyota Malawi, along Old Town – City Center Road.

He however admitted that the city is lacking enough space to accommodate as many sellers as possible.

“The City Assembly does not have enough space in the city but has plans to build a multi storey structure where we will accommodate many activities including markets. As of now feasibility study has been completed, we are just waiting for a final report,” disclosed Mbwabwa.

He also disclosed that the city is planning to be registering vendors for easy identification and planning purposes.

Mbwabwa said that all these developments are aimed at making Lilongwe City, being the capital city of Malawi, a better city.

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xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
9 years ago

Lilongwe has many poor vendors unlike Blantyre and Mzuzu because of high rates of illiteracy. Many Chewas are uneducated but they are very good at traditional gulewamkulu.Thats why majority of youths from LL have nothing to do. Come and see how Blantyre vendors are organized mainly those from Lomwe Belt under His Worship Lord Chalamanda. Not you Bwampinis from LL. Just look at the structures for the capital city venders. Here in south those benches are common in the rural markets not district council markets, let alone City markets.

Shame on City Assembly

Shame on u guyz on city Assembly

akatswiri
9 years ago

Police fire tear gas near Lilongwe First Grade Magistrate Court when chasing vendets,koma tidzitelo?

Feel good
Feel good
9 years ago

What a chaotic city Lilongwe is there’s a lot of disorder and lack of organisation in most of it’s structural setting people build anyhow, people dispose rubbish anyhow, urinate anyhow, sell anyhow,Minibuses drive and park anyhow e.t.c while the so called city authorities look on and get fat salaries at the end of every month. This is what happens when parents in the house do not provide order and sanity children do what they deem fit for survival.This is an eye sore.

to
to
9 years ago

THE CITY SEES THESE GUYS PUT UP BENCHES AND LEAVE THEM..WHATS THAT? THEN THEY WILL COME LATER TO REMOVE THEM? WHAT AN APPROACH..WHY NOT PREVENT THEM NOW BEFORE THEY SETTLE DOWN AND BECOMES MORE CHAOTIC? DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CONFLICT MANAGEMENT? WHAT KIND OF OFFICERS DO WE HALF? BE PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE ALL THE TIME…MXIIII

ujeni
9 years ago

Insane and insanity by these uncivilised peopla called vendors, why warning them and what are city authorities waiting for, go demolish whatever they are putting up and then warn then later not to do it. This is exactly what is wrong with the police and ESCOM too, reactionery instead of preventing. How dare can they put up their rubbish near the river right up in Central Business District and all the idiotic city authorities do is warning

Hebrews
Hebrews
9 years ago

In Blantyre its not happening like that why Lilongwe. Ma salvage! Anachuluka a nyau (MCP) Why are they failing to reorganize themselves!

opportunist
opportunist
9 years ago

Where are we going

Patriot
Patriot
9 years ago

Kodi kumangoti bwabwabwa bwanji?
Malo ndi amenewo.
Ndipo wanena izo ndi mlomwe uja Namponya.
Ngati mulibe malo nde mumafuna kuti anthuwa azitani? Akabe?
Mumangoti achoke koma you don’t give them alternative options.
Message to Diphwiphwi:
Offer them relocation to their respective villages by giving them kena kache koyamba ulimi kaya wa mbewu kaya wa ziweto. Osamangoti “ine sindizagawa ng’ombe kwa anthu muja amachitira JB”.
Apo bi mavendawa mulimbana nawo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee mpska mpaka

Mzika ya Lilongwe
9 years ago

Alomwe musabwere kuno kudzatiwongera city.

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