.MWENYA MUSENGE

By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

SHOPS at the new Kitwe Nakadoli Market were yesterday repossessed while others were closed on grounds of subletting and non-payment of monthly rentals.

The repossession and closure was ordered by Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge, who visited the market in Chimwemwe Constituency to check on the status of all the shops.

Nakadoli market has been at the centre of controversy involving the allocation of shops, most of which had unfortunately remained non-operational since 2010 despite having been allocated to people.

Mr Musenge’s visit to the market came in the wake of a petition presented to him by a group of marketeers who had failed to access trading space in the market on the basis that all the shops were occupied.

It, however, came to the attention of Mr Musenge, who is Chimwemwe constituency Member of Parliament (MP), that most of those who were allocated the shops by the council were now subletting the facilities to others.

The displeased minister said subletting of shops could not be allowed to go on because it was an offense under the Market Act.

“I received a petition from a group of women complaining of subletting of shops from individuals who were offered by the council.

“These women have been to the council to try and get their own shops, but they are being told all the shops are occupied. Now when you check through the market, three quarters of the shops are not operating and yet they just want to hold on to them,” Mr Musenge said.

Mr Musenge took to task Kitwe City Council (KCC) manager-in-charge of markets in the district, Richard Mulenga and Nakadoli market-master Tonny Kapesha for allegedly failing to address the matter.

He said lack of seriousness by officials in charge of the market had cost the council huge sums of money in uncollected rentals as even those who were operating had not been paying the monthly charges.

“People have to be responsible, and so those that are operating and failing to pay we are closing and if they don’t pay by 17:00 hours today (yesterday) we are going to make a decision on the way forward, but for those subletting, we are repossessing the shops right away,” he said.

By press time, more than 70 out of about 200 shops had been closed while others had been repossessed on grounds of subletting.