By CHILA NAMAIKO –

THE Choma Municipal Council (CMC) has vowed to prosecute owners of restaurants in the district failing to comply with health and sanitation requirements in accordance with the law.
The council officers, on Thursday, swang into action and removed a movable café owned by Vitalis Hamweemba for allegedly mounting it in town centre without approval from the local authority.
The two-wheeled café, which was found illegally connected with an underground electrical cable tapping power from a nearby named shop was mounted adjacent to the main bus station along the Choma-Livingstone Road.
CMC public relations officer Ramona Phiri and council senior health inspector Sandie Mkandawire led the officers in hauling the facility onto a truck to the council offices.
Ms Phiri said the café was unlawfully mounted by Mr Hamweemba because it lacked a trading licence, health and sanitation standards as provided by the law.
She said CMC was dismayed with Mr Hamweemba for alleged failure to comply with the directive to ensure health and sanitation requirements were put in place.
“Failure to comply with health and sanitation including acquiring a business licence, are serious offences which attract penalties,” she said.
Ms Phiri said the council’s resolution to take away the café should serve as a warning to other businessmen entities abrogating the law.
She said the council would prosecute Mr Hamweemba through the courts of law.
She said failure to obtain trading licences was robbing council of the much needed revenue which could be utilised for many community projects.