LCC, venders lock horns over graveyard vending

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says the removal of traders and vendors from the graveyards in the City has continued to remain a challenge.
Council Public Relations Manager Habeenzu Mulunda says the exercise was being thwarted by some vendors who  he said have continued to trade from the cemeteries despite being warned of several times.

Mr Mulunda explained to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that members of the public were also encouraging the hawkers  to trade at cemeteries by buying from them.

He said if mourners were not buying from them,  the  hawkers would not see the reason of trading from cemeteries in the city.

 

Mr. Mulunda said a graveyard is a private property which should not be trespassed.

“Graveyards are not trading places. Any one selling food stuffs and other related stuffs risked being prosecuted for abrogating the public Act,” Mr. Mulunda said.

He wondered why despite the local authority sensitizing members of the public not to buy from vendors, most of them continue to do so.
He stated that Council was committed to removing vendors from graveyards because the traders were also contributing to littering the cemeteries because of indiscriminate throwing.
The LCC PRM warned that those found wanting risked being prosecuted for abrogating the Public Act.

 

Lusaka City Council has in the past  fought running battles  to remove street vendors as most of them have continued to go back to trade on streets.

 
Leopards Hill, newly Mutumbi and Chingwere cemeteries have become trade areas  where hawkers are seen selling their merchandise to mourners.