LUSAKA — Lusaka City Council enforcement officers removed more than 400 illegal structures along Lumumba Road in a coordinated operation that began before sunrise on Monday. Mayor Chilando Chitangala said the exercise targeted vendors who had encroached onto road reserves and drainage channels.
Traders at the bustling corridor pleaded for relocation space, arguing that years of informal trading had become their sole livelihood. Nchimunya Phiri, who sold second-hand clothing near Kamwala South, said she had paid daily fees to a self-appointed market committee without council authorisation.
The council announced it would establish designated trading bays at Old Soweto Market and along Los Angeles Boulevard, with priority given to women and youth vendors affected by the clearance. Human rights groups urged authorities to ensure due process and compensation where applicable.
Urban planners at the University of Zambia welcomed the move but cautioned that without affordable formal market space, displaced traders would simply relocate to other arterial roads. Joseph Mwila, a transport economist, estimated that informal trading contributes roughly 12 percent of daily retail turnover in central Lusaka.
Police maintained a heavy presence to prevent unrest, and no major incidents were reported by midday. The council said similar operations would continue in Matero, Chilenje and Kanyama over the coming weeks.
