A blame game has erupted between Lilongwe dry fish sellers and the Lilongwe City Council over the lack of a proper market. The vendors accuse the council of being reluctant to construct a market that would enable them to stop selling fish in a car park, while the council insists the vendors refused to relocate to an already-constructed market in Area 25.

The dispute comes amid complaints from the vendors that the Area 25 market lacks essential infrastructure, including storage rooms, which makes it especially difficult to preserve leftover fish during the rainy season.

“We had a meeting with the Ministry of Local Government last year. They promised to find us a location and construct a proper market in the central town. But to date, there has been no tangible response,” said Fredrick Chimbalanga, Chairperson of the Dry Fish Sellers Association.

Responding to the concerns, Lilongwe City Council spokesperson Tamara Chafunya denied allegations of negligence. “The council is not reluctant on this matter. We have tried our level best to relocate these vendors, but they are not willing to move,” she said.

Regarding the absence of storage facilities, Chafunya explained that there are currently no bylaws mandating the provision of storerooms in market structures.

The ongoing standoff continues to fuel tensions between the fish vendors and the council, with little progress in sight.

(Written By: Temwa Nyakaunga Nyirenda)