YOU CANNOT BEAUTIFY CITIES BY DESTROYING THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE POOR!- Elias Kamanga

ADDRESSING ONE PROBLEM,  CREATING AN EVEN BIGGER ONE!

By Elias Kamanga

The hushed removal of street vendors and the destruction of market stalls belonging to ordinary traders, particularly around Kamwala in Lusaka, is deeply concerning.

While nobody disputes the need to restore order, sanitation and dignity in our markets and public spaces, the manner of the exercise,  raises serious questions about compassion, consultation and the UPND  Government’s understanding of the economic realities facing ordinary Zambians.

It is important to acknowledge that successive administrations, from MMD through PF and now UPND, have all abhorred street vending and made efforts to discourage it.

However, previous administrations were also alive to the suffering and economic vulnerability of the majority of citizens who depend on informal trading to eke out a living.

They understood that, for many people, street vending is not necessarily a lifestyle choice but a last resort in an economy where formal employment opportunities are limited.

More importantly, informal trade has, in many instances, served as an economic and social intervention against crime, prostitution and other forms of social vulnerability.

It has provided an opportunity for thousands of people, particularly women and unemployed youths, to earn an honest living, feed their families and retain some dignity.

What happens when you suddenly take away someone’s only source of income without providing a viable alternative?

Where do these people go?
How do they feed their families?
How do we expect unemployed youths and vulnerable citizens to survive when the very opportunities they have created for themselves are destroyed?

We must be careful that, whilst attempting to address the problem of street vending, we do not inadvertently create a much bigger social and economic crisis.

There is a difference between restoring order and destroying livelihoods. Government and local authorities must appreciate that the two objectives are not mutually exclusive.

YOU CANNOT BEAUTIFY CITIES BY DESTROYING THE LIVELIHOODS OF THE POOR!

Let us hope that the consequences of these demolitions and displacements will not be a rise in crime, prostitution and other social problems arising from economic desperation.

Development must be people-centred.

Restoring order in our cities should not come at the expense of the very citizens whose welfare Government is elected to protect. It should be well thought out, with adequate mitigation strategies.