- Title: ZAMBIA: More Zambians lose their livelihood in crackdown on illegal structures
- Date: 26th March 2007
- Summary: (AD1) LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (MARCH 25, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COUNCIL POLICE OFFICERS DEMOLISHING STALLS POLICE OFFICER WITH MEGAPHONE GIVING COMMAND VENDORS RUN FOR COVER AFTER POLICE CHARGE POLICE OFFICERS ON HORSES POLICE OFFICER GIVING ORDERS WITH MEGAPHONE VENDORS TRADING ON THE SIDES OF A RAILWAY LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH LUSAKA VARIOUS OF VENDORS' STALLS AND VEGETABLES ON THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Chinyanja) SIPIWE SAKA, STREET VENDOR, SAYING: "We do not know why they want to chase us out of the streets. From the money we make here, we can take our children to school, we can feed ourselves and pay our rent at home." ONE OF LUSAKA'S MAIN STREETS, 'CHACHACHA ROAD' SIGN POST WITH DEMOLISHED STALLS IN BACKGROUND BULLDOZER DEMOLISHING STRUCTURES (SOUNDBITE) (English) WINFRED MWALE, COUNCIL POLICE COMMANDANT SAYING: "You will never see any vendor in Zambia now, especially in Lusaka more especially because I think everyone is ready and I know the citizens are going to help us." VARIOUS OF BULLDOZER DEMOLISHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID MUSONDA, VENDOR, SAYING: "I am very confused because I have got nothing to do now. I am very, very shocked." BULLDOZER DEMOLISHING OFFICER GETTING INTO WAITING TRUCK CARRYING REMAINS OF THE DEMOLISHED STALLS WITH DOOR WRITTEN "LUSAKA CITY COUNCIL BUILDING INSPECTORATE" TRUCK DRIVES AWAY
- Embargoed: 10th April 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Zambia
- Country: Zambia
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA3ZGEXE1JJ6KRJFOOJR00G564W
- Story Text: A team of state and city council police on Sunday (March 25) continued the demolishing of illegal trading structures in the central business district of Lusaka as part of a crackdown on illegal structures and buildings.
Trucks tore down make-shift stalls and containerised shops while a heavy police presence kept away anyone trying to get in the way of the demolition.
"We do not know why they want to chase us out of the streets. From the money we make here, we can take our children to school, we can feed ourselves and pay our rent at home," said Sipiwe Saka, one of the vendors.
Sections of streets like Freedom Way and Chachacha Road, which were earlier crowded with vendors, were left clear for the first time in years.
The government has pledged to remove all settlement on illegally allocated land in the country.
"You will never see any vendor in Zambia now, especially in Lusaka more especially because I think everyone is ready and I know the citizens are going to help us," said Winfred Mwale, the City Council Police Commandant.
Street vendors had been given a 48-hour ultimatum that ended on the 14th of this month (March) to pack up and leave but most of them were adamant they would stay and almost nobody heeded the government directive.
Many of the vendors are now without an income.
"I am very confused because I have got nothing to do now. I am very, very shocked,". said one.
The campaign is aimed at ending graft in the allocation of residential and business plots in Zambia, where opposition parties often accuse senior members of the ruling party of taking bribes from people in exchange for land.
The demolition here recalls a programme undertaken in neighbouring Zimbabwe by President Robert Mugabe's government, which provoked an international outcry in 2005 by destroying thousands of illegal houses. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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