Nkhotakota district council has announced plans to crack down on roadside vendors at Nkhotakota boma, aiming to enforce market regulations and improve trading standards.
Public Relations Officer for Nkhotakota district council Wongani Mkandawire notes that the council recognizes the rise in unauthorized roadside selling, contravening existing market rules.
“As the Nkhotakota district council, we are aware of the situation and are concerned that some individuals choose to flout established trade regulations,” said Mkandawire.
The situation typically escalates in the evening hours, with fruits, merchandised vendors and small scale restaurant operators congregating along the M5 road, stretching from Kaphatenga in Salima to Nkhotakota.
Whilst pointing plans to address the situation have been instituted, Mkandawire says the move to formalize the market and create a safer, more organized trading environment was strained by 16th September elections which diverted significant human resources.
“We usually conduct such exercises to crackdown illegal vendors and send them to the market, but lately, as a council we did not have enough man power as many staffs were diverted to election duties,” said Wongani.
“Now that many people are back in the offices, we will carry on the exercise and maintain more organized trading environment,” Wongani added.
He warns that the trade department working with law enforcers will prosecute any vendors involved in the malpractice.
Early November this year, the Ministry of Local Government told a local print media it has ordered city councils in the country to inflict strict measures on illegal vending, saying the malpractice was more proliferating in the cities where many are flocking to for greener pastures.
It stated, “we have observed that the malpractice is blooming and we have therefore called on for strict actions from all city councils on the matter”.
However, according to Umunthu FMs spot check, the situation is becoming worse with even illegal fuel vending in the main commercial areas of many districts with Nkhotakota district included, flouting market regulations.
Many deliberately default market regulations by abandoning their allocated market places especially in the evening hours, frustrating city’s and district council’s efforts to formalize the market and create a safer, more organized trading environment.
Country wide, stakeholders have long pushed for abolition of malpractice citing its detrimental impact on market stability and environment such as market order and creation of noise pollution in the district and city premises, emphasizing the need for decisive interventions.
