Kabwata market development awaits compensation

LINDA SOKO TEMBO writes LUSAKA City Council (LCC) says it is ready to lease part of Kabwata market land earmarked for development into a public car park for Kabwata retail centre if the traders who are trading there are compensated. LCC public relations manager, George Sichimba said in January this year Time Projects Property had applied to the Council to consider leasing part of Kabwata Market Land for the development of a public car park.  In a statement, Mr Sichimba said the proposed piece of land measures 55m along Burma Road and 35m into the market affecting a total number of 93 traders and that after LCC’s Fourth Ordinary Meeting held on March 24 it approved the application with conditions.   Mr Sichimba said that some of the conditions were that a lease for the car park be granted for a 13-year renewable as Kabwata market had been earmarked for re-development under the Develop Finance Build Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. “The lease agreement should only be executed once the market traders have been compensated. “And that Times Square Projects be written a letter of consent to compensate the traders as per agreed amounts which were done in liaison with the Kabwata Market Management Committee,” he said.  Mr Sichimba said that to this end, the Council has communicated the resolution to Times Square Projects and awaiting for the response. He said that it should be noted that while Council supports the modern developments taking place at Kabwata market, the interest of market traders was also at the heart of the local authority. Mr Sichimba said it was for this reason why LCC was moving steadily in line with the Council resolution and that stakeholders in the matter should therefore be patient and allow the process to come to its logical conclusion. The Sun