By CHUSA SICHONE –
CABINET has accepted and endorsed the establishment of Jubilee Women’s Roadside Markets through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The initiative is aimed at building 10 Jubilee markets along highways in all the country’s provinces in three years.
Some highway markets such as Mwanamayinda on Kafue Road and John Chinena on the Great North Road have been identified and were launched in October this year as pilot projects earmarked to be transformed into modern integrated economic hubs under the programme.

. Wina

Vice-President Inonge Wina said this when she braved the rains to officiate at the Jubilee Women’s Integrated Highway Markets Programme fundraising dinner where K26, 310 was raised at Government House in Lusaka on Friday evening.
“I am pleased to further report that Cabinet accepted and endorsed this programme of establishing Jubilee Women’s Roadside Markets Programme through the Public Private Partnership approach,” she said.
Ms Wina said when President Edgar Lungu appointed her as Vice-President, she took advantage of that opportunity to initiate and present to Cabinet the idea meant to transform the current highway markets into modern integrated economic hubs.
Ms Wina said her vision was to have a country where women marketeers traded in markets which were clean and healthy for them and their clients.
The idea of modernising highway markets was borne out of her observations and frustrations over the years on how women were trading in hazardous unhygienic conditions despite the wide range of clientele they served with no regard for improving the trading places.
Ms Wina believed that with the smart concept President Lungu was promoting, there was need for everyone to rally behind the initiative to transform markets into showpieces attracting local and international visitors.
She noted that despite the highway markets being called illegal, they had survived for 50 years and were growing bigger, an indication that they were relevant but that their relevance needed to be examined in a bid to come up with lasting solutions.
The Vice-President was saddened that most children of highway marketeers were unable to go to school and eventually became marketeers because such trading places were located in the middle of nowhere.
The markets have stalls and stands that are haphazardly constructed without any safety regard and many women and children have died after being knocked down by vehicles while trying to cross the road in pursuit of customers.
Jubilee Women’s Integrated Highway Markets Programme advisory committee chairperson Gladys Mutukwa observed that many times clients bought merchandise from marketeers without questioning their well-being.
Ms Mutukwa was happy that Zambia was blessed with the first female Vice-President who had a heart for women in general and marketeers in particular and described Ms Wina as the vision-carrier.
The fundraising dinner attracted several men and women from the corporate world and Government officials who contributed different amounts and made pledges. Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming together with his wife contributed K1,000 and pledged K10,000 as an Embassy.