By Vincent Gunde
Rights activist Pastor Moses Shumba, says besides Wakawaka market not located at a good place for business enterprises, the market is not legally accepted according to the Republican laws.
Pastor Shumba said according to the laws, it is only government to own markets in the country for revenue collected to go to equally important projects government is undertaking in the country.
The Pastor said Wakawaka market belonged to an individual person who was collecting market fees by himself, the fees collected were being used to pay cleaners and watchmen guarding the market.
Speaking through an audio clip, Pastor Shumba said for long, the market has been in the hands of individuals and as such, government planned to relocate the market to By – pass road for revenue collections.
Pastor Shumba said issues of relocating the market to a new place did not start with the DPP led government, the MCP government tried the same but some other people were pocketing money from the owners of the market to continue staying there.
He said government does not bow down to pressure from individuals for their personal gains saying this is why the DPP led government has re – enforced relocation of the market to a new place.
The Activist said it is sad that some people are accusing Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture Alfred Gangata for being part of vendors forced relocation to a new site at By pass saying Gangata is in no way connected with issues of Wakawaka market as claimed by the owner of Wakawaka market.
Pastor Shumba said Gangata has no powers vested in him to order the police use force to close down the market, Gangata is just an innocent person observing that the law has been there from before that no one should own a market in the country.
He said some people have reached at a point of castigating the DPP led government that they voted for it into government and they did not expect their government to punish them in the way it has done.
” The law is the law, it cannot be changed, the law doesn’t favour anybody, we have to abide by the laws of the country,” said Pastor Shumba.
In the audio clip, Pastor Shumba has advised UTM President Dr. Dalitso Kabambe that this is not the time for campaign but offering constructive criticism to government saying doing this, Kabambe will remain Kabambe up to the 2030 elections.
