Chitipa District Council and vendors have resolved their differences on infrastructure development.
The stand-off saw vendors boycotting market fees for four months.
reached a compromise
Vendors at the new Chitipa Market stopped paying market fees in April this year after the council failed to meet their demands for over three years. The vendors wanted the council to improve security, sanitation and move their colleagues from the old market to the new one.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Chitipa market vendors chairperson Medson Mshani confirmed that they have started paying the fee after the council pledged to allocate K10 million for infrastructure development.
He said the money will help the council to upgrade the market’s perimeter fence, erect a shed for farm produce, construct toilets and set up water points.
Mshani said once that is done, vendors from the old market will move to the new market. He said vendors from the old market were reluctant to occupy the new market because of security and sanitation challenges.
Chitipa District Council chairperson Osman Kanyika said the four months boycott cost the council over K3million.
The market is one of the council’s main sources of revenue.
