Blantyre City Council clears off streets from vendors

By Abel Ikiloni and Duncan Mlanjira

Blantyre City Council has now used the preventive measures set for the preventive measures on Coronavirus (COVID-19) to bite its teeth and clear off vendors from the streets of the Commercial City.

The majority of the general public have been asking the City Council to act on the escalating vending situation and on Monday, March 30, the Council added to the list of bans that include street vending, bridal showers, night clubs, sporting activities, wedding ceremonies, engagement ceremonies and other social gatherings.

As of Wednesday morning, Malawi News Agency (MANA) observed that all street vending areas within City had the presence of the police and City Council officials to enhance tight security.

Nobody was doing their business along the Blantyre City roads or in the shop corridors or shops’ veranda as had been the case in the past few years.

Despite the calls to have the vendors removed, the City Council was failing to enforce the bylaw which sources were saying it was because of politics since it could affected politicians campaign towards the 2019 tripartite elections.

In issuing fresh directives, Blantyre City Mayor had asked all vendors to immediately relocate to the designated markets where water buckets mixed with chlorine have been placed in all strategic points. 

For funerals and other emergencies, the Mayor also advised the conveners to take precautionary measures by limiting the number of attendees and also ensuring there is provision of water buckets and hand washing soap displayed at strategic places so that everyone can access to wash their hands, and the observance of social distance.

The water buckets, mixed with chlorine were placed in all strategic points in all the 34 markets within the City with the belief that all markets users will make good use of the facilities.

“We would like to urge all residents to do their part by joining the Council in the fight against this pandemic.

“Let us do the right thing during this time when we are under the threat of contracting this life threatening virus. In so doing, we will together overcome this problem,” the Mayor said.

Last week, Councillor Ndipo also urged all public service providers to provide hand washing utensils for use by their customers.

Ndipo has also announced a month long ‘Make Your Environment Coronavirus Free Campaign’ to ensure that every resident is taking lead in abiding by the measures that have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the first thing that Malawian traffic law enforcement officers do when they flag down a vehicle to stop at impromptu check points is to ask the driver for their licence and to check on the windscreen if vehicle and any other documents are valid.

But following the directives issued by Ministry of Transport & Public Works as COVID-19 precautionary measures, the traffic law enforcement officers have been ordered not to touch the driver or vehicle documents as required by law except where it is very necessary.

Ministry of Transport and Minibus Owners Association of Malawi (MOAM) also agreed to reduce passengers capacity to two people per seat in observance of social distancing directive.

But in most cases, minibus drivers flout the already existing directive that asks that they should only have three passengers per row.

The minibus drivers flout this legal traffic directive when they know the traffic law enforcement officers have left the impromptu check points.

Despite complaints, minibus drivers force passengers to sit four on a row and passengers comply because the minibuses operate on first-served line bases.

But MOAM national chairperson Felix Mbonekera told MANA last Friday that effective 1st April 2020, all minibuses will be carrying two passengers per seat.

The Ministry of Transport says, together with Road Traffic Directorate, thy have instituted a task force which will be doing spot checks on the roads to ensure that all the minibuses which have sealed windows at the back should be open and on sitting capacity they have agreed to minimize only for this period of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Transport says the Councils will intensify inspection of all business premises, offices, shops, all residential areas and other public premises to make sure that all these initiatives are being followed.

For those that will not comply, the Mayor warned that the Council shall use all available pieces of legislation to make sure that the set hygiene standards are complied with and residents are protected.

He asked all residents to utilise the toll free line (526) for any inquiries if there will be need for other measures to be implemented or those that need further information.