By IREEN MULENGA
Marketeers at Malela Market in Mufulira have appealed to Mufulira Municipal Council to start collecting levies from the street vendors.
Marketers’ have wondered why the local authority is only focused on collecting levy in the market leaving out the vendors.
One of the marketeer Janet Mwape alleged that government considers street vendors as the people that vote hence they have threatened not to vote for the Patriotic Front (PF) if the favoritism continues.
Another marketer Mary Lungu complained about the poor state of the market at Malela.
“We are not happy about market here; the shelter is in a bad state, poor garbage collection by the council and erratic water supply, so the hygiene is not good in general, “she said.
Ms Lungu has called on government to relocate them to the incomplete Buteko modern market if they cannot improve the hygiene levels in the market.
Meanwhile Mufulira Municipal Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Thandiwe Tembo said that the allegations about poor garbage collection are not true.
Ms Tembo said the council collet garbage’s and clean the market on a daily basis.
Ms Tembo said the council can only collect levies from marketers because the market belongs to the council.
She said according to the bus station and market act, the council is mandated to collect money from the marketers and at the bus station because the money collected from them is meant to enhance the running of the market
