By SYLVESTER MWALE-
ABOUT 1,000 marketeers have abandoned Lusaka’s Old Soweto Market to trade on the streets after one of the main entrances to the trading area was closed.
Meanwhile, the remaining traders say business has slowed down from the time a business executive suspected to be Lebanese closed the way that passes through his premises.
It is believed that the closure from Los Angeles Road has cut out about 3,000 traders from potential customers as the only way to  access the market  was through Kanyama Township.
A check at the site, which is behind the modern Soweto Market, found most shops and makeshift stands deserted and closed with only one depot for beans and rice operating.
Market chairperson Derrington Chisha said the traders had lost business from the time the business executive, only identified as Mayer, closed the main entrance.
“Marketeers have gone to sell on  the streets because this place has been inaccessible by the people from the time this investor closed the entrance,” Mr Chisha said.
“As you can see, everyone has left, the shops are closed and stands have been abandoned. Therefore, we are appealing to the Government to look into our plight by asking this man to open the entrance.”
A representative of the traders James Nsabika said the marketeers had been to both the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Lands but nothing had come out to assist the traders.
“We have also been to the council to see the town clerk and we have informed our area MP, but it is like they are all not interested,” Mr Chisha said.
Mr Chisha said that the closure of the entrance had resulted into increased vending because many traders were still abandoning the place due to difficulties to find customers in the market.
Mr Mayer referred all queries to Local Government Deputy Minister Nicholas Banda who has been presiding over the matter.
However, Mr Banda said the Government had no control over the decision by Mr Mayer to erect a barrier at the entrance because that was his private property.
“That is a private property because the investor has got a title and has got a right to build what he wants,” Mr Banda said.
“There is nothing we can do as Government because once one is given a title he has got the right to build. We have had meetings with both parties but it’s like the complainant is not ready to take some options given by the investor.”
Most of the affected traders are those that were displaced during the construction of the Soweto Modern Market in 2005 but could not retain their stands after the completion.