Economist Criticises Delays To Lusaka City Market Reconstruction

Lusaka-based economist Trevor Hambayi has expressed his disappointment with the government over repeated delays to the reconstruction of the city’s market, curtailing growth in both the formal and informal sectors. 

Mr Hambayi said the government should have prioritised the reconstruction of the market as a key source of income for many Lusakans, rather than - for instance - spending K30 million on an empowerment scheme for artists. 

“Soweto City/Market is a trading place for thousands of both formal and informal traders across many sectors of our economy. I visited it on a Saturday afternoon and was saddened at the extent to which we as a country can ignore the plight of our citizens,” he complained.

The market burned down as a result of vandalism in July 2017, sustaining heavy damage to the roof and sending millions of Kwacha’s worth of goods up in flames.

Mr Hambayi expressed his outrage that, three years on, the roof has still not been replaced, despite extensive fundraising by locals. 

“Who is responsible? Yet we have continued to collect daily market fees. Where are these funds going?,” he questioned.

The economist concluded that it was ridiculous for the government to repeatedly proclaim how important SMEs are to the economy but only to support them to further a political message. 

Lusaka City Market in flames in July 2017