YALI wants sanity to return to markets

YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) welcomes the observations by the Vice President Inonge Wina that marketeers have challenges which Government should address immediately.

YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza says this is in order to make the work and lives of the hard-working market women and men less stressful and more productive.

Mr. Mwanza believes that one of the biggest challenges facing the marketeers, is the illegal takeover of control of their markets by hordes of unruly groups masquerading as PF Youths and officials.

Mr. Mwanza says it is true to say that places such as Inter City, Soweto and City Markets are like Somalia – in the hands of ruthless militias.

He says it is for this reason his organization has welcomed the strong words of the PF National Youth Chairman Chishimba Kambwili that those who are arrested for illegal acts committed in the name of any political party, must be left to face the full force of the law without any intervention by political party leaders.

Mr. Mwanza is confident that President Lungu, as former Minister of Home Affairs, agrees fully with Mr. Kambwili’s views that no political party should intervene when its members are brought before the law enforcement agencies.

Mr. Mwanza has since appealed to President Lungu to personally take a strong stand and issue clear instructions to his party structures and members to observe proper discipline and stop the harassment of citizens in markets and at bus stations, especially at the Inter City Bus Station in Lusaka where a gang of thugs operating in the name of PF have taken over the place.