Fear and tears as Kamwala traders lose their stalls

🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Fear and tears as Kamwala traders lose their stalls

Traders displaced by the demolition of illegal trading structures in Lusaka’s Kamwala area have described scenes of fear, anger and uncertainty, as Zambia Army Special Forces joined the clean-up operation on Monday, 9 November 2026.

Speaking to The People’s Brief, a woman who identified herself as Monica said she fled when she saw military personnel approaching while she was recovering materials from her demolished shop.

“I was very afraid when I was trying to pick some of my iron sheets of my shop that was destroyed at night. Then I saw the military coming in. I really had to run for dear life. They were not beating anyone but I just got afraid. The mayor is serious,” she said.

Another trader, identified only as Uncle T, welcomed the campaign to restore order but complained that the notices issued to traders were too short for them to make alternative arrangements.

Our correspondent, Tusha Lishomwa, who visited the affected area as part of The People’s Brief news crew, described growing frustration among traders who were recovering materials from the rubble.

“There is a rush of emotions on the ground. Tension is rising, and marketeers are not happy, but they feel they have no choice,” Lishomwa reported.

She observed that the anticipated arrival of Special Forces personnel had heightened anxiety among traders, with the enforcement campaign appearing to proceed regardless of their political affiliations.

Some traders told our news crew that they had operated in the area since 2019 and had continued trading after the UPND assumed power in 2021. They claimed Lusaka City Council had been collecting payments from them despite now describing their trading structures as illegal.

Lawyer and unsuccessful Lusaka mayoral candidate Simon Mulenga Mwila has raised similar concerns, questioning why the Council allegedly collected money from traders whose structures it subsequently demolished.

“Are you aware that your same council has been earning money from those same ‘illegal’ stalls?” Mwila wrote on Facebook.

He proposed formalising the trading area, introducing proper registration and eliminating unauthorised collections. He also questioned the availability of alternative trading spaces.

“Those saying take them to markets.. Which markets?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Lusaka Mayor Chitambala Mwewa has maintained that the campaign is necessary to restore cleanliness, safety and order in the capital. The Council says the demolished structures were unauthorised and that notices had been issued before enforcement.

On Monday, Zambia Army Special Forces personnel participated in clearing debris and waste from the affected area as part of activities commemorating Special Forces Day. Photographs released by the Ministry of Defence showed personnel removing rubbish and cleaning the largely cleared site.

The military’s clean-up followed the Council’s demolition exercise. Monica did not allege that soldiers assaulted anyone, while the traders’ claims concerning council payments remain to be independently verified.

The operation has left the once-congested trading area largely cleared, but questions remain over the Council’s previous collection of levies, the adequacy of notices and where displaced traders will conduct business.

For traders such as Monica and Uncle T, the immediate concern is no longer whether the structures will be removed, but where they will earn their next income.

Ministry of Defence Public Relations Unit

The People’s Brief | Mwape Nthegwa, Ollus R. Ndomu, Hora Hanene

10 November 2026