From clearance to control

Announcing the start of Phase Two, Lusaka Mayor Chitambala Mwewa said the Council is moving from removal to consolidation, from clearing the CBD to keeping it clear and making it work.

“The next phase of the operation will focus on decongesting the CBD and consolidating the gains achieved during the successful implementation of Phase One,” Mr Mwewa said at a press briefing last Monday.

Operation Clear Path was launched to restore order, cleanliness and public safety across Lusaka. It targeted illegal street vending, which had overwhelmed the CBD.

Phase Two widens the net to address the other drivers of disorder that grew alongside vending – illegal bus operations, unauthorised trading of electronics, car sales on public roads and mobile trading from wheelbarrows.

At the centre of Phase Two is the decongestion of public transport.

For years, buses and minibuses have operated from undesignated points around the CBD, picking and dropping passengers on road shoulders, street junctions and outside shopping arcades. The practice has worsened traffic congestion, created safety hazards for pedestrians and made traffic management nearly impossible.

Under Phase Two, LCC will work jointly with the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and the Zambia Police to relocate all buses operating from unauthorised locations to authorised bus stations.

“This move is aimed at improving traffic flow, enhancing public safety and creating a more organised public transport system,” Mr Mwewa said.

The Council believes that a predictable transport system is essential for a functional city.

When buses operate from gazetted stations, routes can be regulated, safety standards enforced and passengers protected.

The second major focus is Katondo Street, which has become a symbol of the challenges facing the CBD.

Established businesses on Katondo have complained for months that street traders have occupied shopfronts and access points, preventing customers from entering legitimate stores and effectively pushing formal businesses out of business.

Mr Mwewa announced intensified enforcement measures on Katondo Street, saying all business activities within the CBD must be conducted from lawful and designated trading places.

“The Council will act decisively to clear Katondo Street of illegal traders and other forms of disorder,” he said.

Particular concern has been raised about the sale of mobile phones and electronic devices on Katondo Street. The area has become Lusaka’s informal electronics market, but authorities and members of the public have long questioned the legitimacy of some products sold there.

Mr Mwewa cited reports that some phones and devices on sale may be stolen property, raising both security and consumer protection concerns.

The Council said enforcement in this area will be firm and will involve verification of compliance with trading regulations.

Lusaka resident Peter Daka says welcomed the LCC’s plans to move Katondo dealers as this may help curb a trend where most stolen phones ended at the street.

He says Katondo Street has been known for a long time to be a hot spot for stolen electronic gadgets especially mobile phones.

“In my view this is a welcome move and I believe most residents of Lusaka would be happy to that those dealers there are moved elsewhere and just for that place to look clean,” he says.

Mr Daka also says the Council’s caution against the growing trend of displaying vehicles for sale along the same street.

He agrees that the street is not designated for car sales, and the practice has narrowed the road, and obstructed pedestrian movement.

“For me it’s non-negotiable. Authorities have several designated spaces for such activities and one would question why these guys just go there to sell their cars. Let them go to place opened for such business,” he says.

For the third pillar of Phase Two, the LCC targets mobile traders selling fruit, vegetables and other goods from wheelbarrows.

While often seen as small-scale entrepreneurs, their unregulated presence in the CBD has contributed significantly to congestion, litter and unfair competition with market traders who pay fees and operate from designated areas.

Mr Mwewa directed all wheelbarrow traders to register and operate from recognised trading centres, including Soweto Market, City Market, Simon Mwewa Market and other approved facilities. The Council said these markets have capacity to absorb traders and provide better sanitation conditions, security and customer access.

The shift from Phase One to Phase Two reflects a lesson learned from previous clean-up exercises in Lusaka.

Past operations have often achieved initial success, only for vendors to return within weeks because enforcement was not sustained and alternative trading spaces were not enforced or made attractive.

This time, LCC’s sustainability will be anchored on three things: consistent enforcement, collaboration with other agencies, and ensuring that designated markets work.

The inclusion of RTSA and Zambia Police is strategic. While LCC has the mandate to manage markets and trading spaces, traffic regulation and public order require joint operations.

The Council has also appealed to the public and the business community to cooperate and to avoid buying from illegal vending points, which perpetuates the problem.

For legitimate businesses in the CBD, Phase Two offers hope. Many have reported declining sales because customers could not access their shops, while others have been forced to compete with traders operating tax-free directly outside their doors.

For the 8,000 vendors who were moved, the transition is difficult. The Council maintains that alternative spaces are available and that no one has been removed without an option to trade legally.

The long-term success of the operation will depend on whether those spaces are viable, secure and profitable enough to keep traders from returning to the streets.

As Phase Two begins, the CBD is cleaner and more orderly than it has been in years.

The pavements are visible again. But the experience of Lusaka shows that order in the city centre is not achieved in one weekend. It must be enforced every day.

Phase One was about moving vendors. Phase Two will determine whether the city can stay clear.