The controversy surrounding the future of Kamba market in Blantyre City has taken a new twist as the investor CPI over the weekend was on the ground clearing the area in preparation for the construction of an uptown market complete with a filling station.
The development sent shock waves down the spines of legally housed tenants and those that looked up to the site their source of livelihood since they were born and inherited businesses from the parents.
What started as a rumour was validated by the Blantyre City Council’s decision the decision to issue 30-day eviction notices to vendors at Kamba Market in November 2024 in letters that had neither a date nor signature.
“It was strange that a city council of Blantyre council caliber could do this. The only legit thing about the communication was the city letterhead coupled with the identities of those tasked with the responsibility to deliver the letters” observed Emmanuel Somozani who has been running a business at Kamba market for the past 20 years.
However, the sham of the notices did not come as a surprise to Somozani who alongside Chonde , Leah Tsamwa and Gilbert Mbiri confronted the city fathers in their letter dated August 19, 2024 after they got a wind of the sale arrangement.
In the above letter they requested the council to be confirm that they had already identified an investor to develop Kamba and Chilomoni markets.
The qoutate lawful Kamba market users also wrote the council on November 20, 204 after receiving the unsigned vacation notices demanding transparency and accountability in the whole process.
“ It was our expectation that the council should have engaged us in the whole process. A fair process could have started with the authorities offering us the opportunity. In an event that we would not meet their standards then they could have proceeded to call for proposals from interested investors. But in our case we just got information that the council has already identified a Lilongwe based investor,” read the letter in part.
“After a discussion between the said investor, a resolution was made to give us land belonging to a Blantyre based investor by the name Faizal Aboo, it was ironic since we were made to believe that the market was given to a Lilongwe based investor after some time we were told the period to vacate has been extended from December 31, 2024 to March 30 2025” said another concerned vendor.
But before the agreed deadline, the council has allowed CPI to access the ground and over the weekend they were cutting down trees and developed that has shocked the vendors that were expecting meaningful engagement and through due process to be followed.
Glaring contradictions
According to CPI’s application letter dated January 29,2024 the investor read in the Public Sector Reforms document that the Blantyre City Council is looking for an investor to develop Kamba market into a One-stop Commercial Center hence their application.
In an unparalleled opportunity the Blantyre city council granted CPI wish just like that !
In the application CPI states that it intended to spend MK1.5 billion to develop Kamba market but asked to be excepted from payment of land fees. They also said they will be paying 10 percent profit from the filling station.
“From experience having developed land in several palaces in the country this would translate into MK1.5 million revenue to the city council” said the letter signed by Tregia Mushani.
However, in letter dated December 10, 2024 signed by Blantyre City Council Chief Executive Officer Dennis Chiseu the city alleged that the investor had pledged to spend MK2.5 billion in developing Kamba market while the city council would be recking in MK2.5 million revenue from the project.
This information is contained in a response to the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives(CDEDI) letter demanding disclosure of information pertaining to the controversy surrounding the Kamba market signed by its Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa.
Legal or illegal project?
According to Chiseu by December 20, 2024 the investor was yet to deliver the key documents to the approval of the project namely; the financial feasibility and the environmental and social impact assessment.
For starters the Environmental Management Act makes it mandatory that projects of such magnitude and natural environmental impact assessment is a must.
Should we then assume that it has been done in under a month?
Secondly, such a public land cannot change hands in a mist like that. “ Where on earth can someone be allowed to access public land using just a piece of an A4 paper like that one ? The process should have been competitive. It should have started with an advertisement in the newspaper requesting for expression of interest or calling for proposals. It’s bizarre that in the CEO saw that piece of paper attractive ! This is outrageous to say the least,” said Gift Yesaya another vendor.
Now between Mr Mushani and Chiseu who do we believe?
It is not clear what sort of arrangement is this is it a lease or just a gentleman’s agreement since both PPDA and PPP were not involved?
Nonetheless, the CEO said this project was approved by the full council way back in 2020 but the application was made in 2024.
