By Andrew Ndhlovu
Lilongwe, December 7, Mana: Lilongwe City Council (LCC) has demolished the Lilongwe Curios Market which was located near Area 3 Post Office along Kamuzu Procession Road, to pave way for construction of a four-lane road.
In interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), Lilongwe Curios Market Secretary, James Subili, said the expansion of the road has forced them to relocate to a place along Chilambula Road as a temporary place as LCC looks for a suitable place.
“As you know, government is expanding some roads in the city and one of them is Kamuzu Procession Road, that’s along where we have been conducting our business.
“As a result, this has affected the place of our business and they have decided that we should move to this place here,” Subili said.
However, the curios trader explained that despite relocating to a new place, their business has not been negatively affected, saying the new place is also good.
“We are not [badly] affected with the changing of the market place as this place is conducive for our business because it is also located near the road, which makes it easy for our customers to get to us,” Subili said.
Nevertheless, some customers are still not aware of the new curios market and are still visiting the old place, according to Subili.
“There are still some of our customers who do not know where we are now, but when they get to the old location at the Post Office, they are being directed to here,” Subili said.
Another curios trader, Ras Galawanda, also lauded the new location, saying it has more space than the old one.
“I like our new place; it is good for our business. What I will ask LCC for is to help us construct reliable structures that we can use as stands for our goods,” Galawanda said.
In her remarks, Lilongwe City Council Public Relations Officer, Tamara Chafunya said in July last year, the council started working on infrastructure development projects, including roads across town.
“We are rehabilitating various roads in our city through government funding as well as UNDP,” she said, adding it was such activities that have forced the relocation of curios traders from Area 3 Post Office along Kamuzu Procession Road to a place along Chilambula Road.
