WEDNESDAY, 5.00PM
The fire that destroyed one floor of the Zambian government headquarters in Lusaka on Tuesday appears to be linked to another fire that destroyed a makeshift market used by street hawkers, precipitating violent protests by street vendors in the capital which led to police firing live ammunition and teargas, and closing all access to the city centre.
Zambian police report having arrested 56 people in the violence, which left at least one civilian and three policemen injured.
After finding their market razed by fire on Wednesday morning, street vendors took to the streets, throwing stones at police and passing cars and looting shops before police moved in, firing teargas and warning shots.
Trouble among the hawkers started on Monday when a row of market stalls was burned down, sparking violent protest by vendors, who later marched to State House to speak to President Frederick Chiluba.
Hawkers have swarmed Lusaka’s streets in their thousands since Chiluba’s government took power in 1991. Last year Chiluba appointed a deputy state minister with responsibility solely for issues affecting street vending. However, there has developed a perception that hawkers supporting the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy have been given preferential treatment. Recently, the government opened a multi-million dollar market for street vendors which can accommodate 3 000 merchants. Many vendors are angry at failing to acquire shops in the market.
Information Minister David Mpamba accused the opposition of being behind the trouble, and presidential spokesman Richard Sakala said: “The disturbances were caused by agitators pretending to be vendors, and recent developments should not be treated as coincidence.” The “recent developments” referred to are believed to include Tuesday’s Cabinet House fire.