Ministry of Trade and Industry has pleaded with vendors in Mzuzu to be patient as
government moves to address their grievances that include banning foreign nationals from engaging in retail trading. The ministry’s spokesperson Patrick Botha said in a written response yesterday that they are aware of the vendors’ concerns, stating that the ministry is working on finalising necessary policy documents on the same.
He said the vendors were earlier assured that the issue would take three to four months, arguing that the set timeframe has not expired. Said Botha: “Already, you have seen the minister engaging the vendors as well as wholesalers to appreciate issues affecting their businesses. “So we would ask the vendors to give room for these processes to take
place while we are also fast-tracking the processes from our end as per the cited discussions the concerned parties had with the ministry.”
The vendors last week staged a protest and gave government seven days to or they will take it upon themselves to close retail shops run by nationals of Burundi, China and India by May 15 2025.
Mzuzu Main Market vendors president Alexander Sikwese said in an interview yesterday that they were writing Burundians, Indians and Chinese traders to stop retailing by Thursday He said: “There were no discussions
between the vendors and the ministry on the matter. We understand the ministry held talks with the foreign nationals but we refused to hold such discussions with the ministry.” Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba said in a written response yesterday that it was barely six weeks since they held discussions with the vendors.
He said: “And we told all vendors not only the ones in Mzuzu. But it seems vendors from other cities understood our projected timelines. So, that is all I can comment.” In an interview after demonstrations held by the vendors last week, Mumbac said the ministry’s director of legal services is finalising the legal matters on complaints that foreign-owned shops were selling on retail, instead of wholesale.
In their petition during the demos, the vendors also demanded that foreign nationals stop operating in residential areas and cease running small business such as barber shops.
They also decried the presence of “too many” police roadblocks and
dilapidated road networks. In the petition, the vendors also accused the Malawi Revenue Authority of overcharging taxes on their goods, demanded an end to the Affordable Inputs Programme and that instead the government should reduce the cost of farm inputs so that everyone can afford
