Blantyre street vendors to relocate by tomorrow
Blantyre City councillors have given street vendors until tomorrow to relocate to designated selling points or they will be chucked out.
The councillors made the resolution on Tuesday during a meeting between a special committee on vendors and stakeholders held at the Blantyre City Council (BCC) offices.
The committee, which is chaired by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councillor Lewis Ngalande, was set up last week by the councillors to look into illegal vending and find a permanent solution to it.
In an interview yesterday, Ngalande confirmed convening a meeting with the stakeholders and agreeing on a deadline of Friday, August 1 for vendors to leave the streets.
“We met all stakeholders such as representatives of vendors, police, tailors, traffic wardens, minibus owners and shop owners on the way forward.
“The good news is that the vendors have assured us that they will leave peacefully and for those who have been complaining of space inside the market, allocations are being done for them,” he said.
Co-chaired by Ngalande and BCC assistant director of administration Robert Grevulo, the meeting also agreed not to spare shop owners who display merchandise on verandas.
The meeting, which lasted for about five hours, also resolved that under whatever situation the city has to reclaim its lost glory and that for sustenance, police and BCC rangers will strategise to ensure that the vendors get off the streets peacefully.
