Govt to spend US$20m to reconstruct Lusaka City Market

Vincent Mwale Local Government Minister

Local Government Minister Vincent Mwale says government will spend about US$20 million to reconstruct Lusaka City Market which was gutted by fire last week.

Mr Mwale has clarified that the reconstruction of the market will take 12 months and not six weeks as earlier stated.

In a ministerial statement to Parliament today, Mr Mwale says the modern market to be built will accommodate fivefold the number of marketeers the current market accommodates.

He adds that the market will also have a bigger bus station and better facilities.

Mr Mwale says the plan of action for rebuilding a better market is already underway.

He states that government has since identified other sites where traders will be relocated while the rebuilding of the City Market is underway.

Mr Mwale says market spaces are currently being worked on by a combined team of engineers from the defence forces and that the new sites will be read for occupation in the next six weeks.

And Mr Mwale says no trader is allowed to enter the City market until investigations are complete.

He adds that traders who may require to enter the market and collect their goods from the stalls which were not gutted by the inferno will only do so when the technicians working on the market are able to ensure their safety.