The market committee chairperson, Richard Mukota has demanded that government should complete 31 shops, construct a brick fence, four extra toilets, drainage system, drill a borehole and landscaping among others.

"Vendors here have vowed that they will not enter the new market since of the 79 rooms, 31 shops are yet to be completed, there is no brick fence, extra toilets, drainage system, a borehole and landscaping of the market premise is not done," he claimed.

However, Thyolo district's Director of Finance (DOF) Andrew Jaffari said the vendors are not realistic with their demands since the market has most of the claimed amenities, such as solar-powered water, VIP toilets while indicating that others were not part of the design.

Jafarri has stressed that the initial project design of that market was about the provision of the shed and open shops, but after some considerations, they helped with the walls in the shops, adding that the doors and windows have been provided by the district council's funding after the vendors complained.

He said, "in a bid to resolve the matter amicably the district council referred it to their local leaders and on Thursday last week, Senior chief Chimaliro called the stakeholders including the vendors to a meeting at the market, but we hear they snubbed it."

Meanwhile, he has documented that due to the six months impasse, the district council has lost about K6 million of revenue since the KFW through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) handed over the market constructed under the More Income and Employment in Rural Areas (MIERA) Project.

The project which has phased out some months ago, constructed similar markets in Neno, Chinkhoma-Kasungu, Embangweni-Mzimba, Lunzu-Blantyre Dyeratu-Chikwawa, Tsazi-Zomba and Mbulumbuzi-Chiradzulu.

But according to Jaffari, the financier is now failing to conduct an end-line evaluation for all the projects because the Thyolo disagreements have halted progress and some implementation indicators.