PF Lusaka Province chairman Paul Moonga says street vendors are allowed to vend for the whole day on Sundays and on public holidays and can only trade from 16:00 hours to 06:00 hours in the morning from Mondays to Fridays.

In an interview, Moonga said the decision was arrived at after various consultations with the Ministry of Local Government as well as the Lusaka City Council (LCC) following the delayed completion of the Simon Mwewa market.

“What I said was [that] vendors between Monday and Friday will be allowed to vend from 16:00 hours and they can go if they want for overnight, it’s up to them and Saturday they can open from 13:00 hours and daylight if they want. Sunday is the whole day, and holiday is the whole day. [This is] because the government has delayed to complete the Simon Mwewa market where they can be taken,” Moonga said.

He said the market is already operational and that the vendors are very cooperative.

“So, the market is already operational and we are very cooperating. [the vendors] are very cooperating, they are very clean and everybody knows that they can only start their vending business at 16:00 and can go on up to whatever time they want depending on where they come from. For toilets they go in the city market and as for drinking water, they can afford to buy a bottle of mineral water,” Moonga said.

Asked where his party drew the mandate to decide on behalf of the council, Moonga said his party was only offering solutions to government on the challenges faced by the general citizenry.

“As the Patriotic Front we give solutions [and] if the opposition can also give solutions, they can also take their solutions to the council. We engaged the Ministry of Local Government on this matter and we agreed and made the announcement. So we are all stakeholders. As a ruling party, we must be able to give solutions which can be able to assist the citizens. The opposition can also give solutions. But [unfortunately] for them they just condemn. Any solution that is going to assist our people is most welcome. We are not the Alpha and Omega, and when we go wrong, we shall say that we are sorry please forgive us,” said Moonga.