Blantyre City Council laws to target illegal buyers
Blantyre City Council (BCC) says it is drafting new by-laws which will criminalise buying goods from illegal vendors.
BCC Public Relations Manager, Anthony Kasunda, was speaking during a media tour on Friday at the BCC Fire Assembly Department in Blantyre to show journalists how the council deals with the confiscated goods.
Kasunda said the fight against illegal vending is proving difficult because the illegal vendors have a market in the streets.
“During any transaction, there is a seller and buyer. The current laws which only target sellers make the fight against illegal vending difficult. We are drafting new by-laws which will target both sellers and buyers to make sure that illegal sellers do not have a market,” he said.
On the confiscated goods, Kasunda said the council keeps the goods to be part of exhibit when the alleged illegal vendors appear in court.
He said the council only sells the goods when the owners do not come forward to appear in court.
“We keep whatever we confiscate in the streets to be part of exhibit in court. We sell them when at least six months lapse without the owners coming to appear in court,” he said.
He, however, said the council disposes off all perishable goods they confiscate at the BCC’s main dumpsite at Mzedi within 24 hours.
“The law requires us to dispose off the perishables after 24 hours. So we throw them away together with other refuse at Mzedi dumpsite but scavengers take them back into the communities and this is why we urge the people to be careful when buying food,” he said.
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