By ANDREW PHIRI –

ABOUT 60 former street vendors in Livingstone have been given plots at Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) market to build their shops.

Regional United Street Vendors’ Association chairperson Kimbo Muleta said his association was working closely with the Livingstone City Council to ensure that vendors had permanent trading places.

Mr Muleta said despite the delay in the completion of the ultra modern market in the tourist capital, the street vendors association was committed to ending street vending to keep Livingstone clean.

He said many vendors in the city had appreciated the initiatives taken by former Tourism and Arts minister Silvia Masebo before the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference last year to keep Livingstone clean.

Mr Muleta commended the Government for trying to graduate the vendors to small Medium and Medium sized Entrepreneurs.

He said the area Member of Parliament Lawrence Evans had donated 20 packets of cement for the construction of an ablution block at COMESA market and that it was currently at roof level.

Mr Muleta appealed to Government to quickly construct the bridge that connects COMESA market to Maramba and Police Township.

He challenged other stakeholders to come on board and supplement Government’s efforts in trying to see that the construction of the modern market is completed in order to accommodate more traders.

And market centre manager Fredrick Sakala said the project undertaken by the street vendors association was a good one.

Mr Sakala said the move would help maintain the vision of keeping the tourist capital clean.