Thieves rampage market…Chingola market in trouble

SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes @sunzambian THIEVES are now targeting Chiwempala market, the biggest market in Chingola, breaking shops and hauling goods and money in the dead of the night. According to the shop owners, the most targeted items are cell phones, computer accessories and hard cash. The marketeers have therefore called for heightened security in order to stop the store-breaking that they said happened almost every month. One of the shop owners at the market, Mathew Mulenga, co-proprietor of Ben Mathews Investments said thieves got away with mobile cell phones worth about K147, 000 and about K 10, 000 cash which was safe in the shop. Mr Mulenga said the breaking of the shop he owned with his brother Ben took place this last weekend between 23:00 hours and 02:00 hours. “We found the lock broken and items missing from the shop on Sunday morning after receiving a tip off by the eye witness who were at the scene around 02:30 hours. “We reported the matter to the police who also visited the scene and upto now we are told investigations are still going on,” Mr Mulenga said. Another shop owner, Monica Chama, whose shop was raided by thieves last month questioned what the local authority was doing to ensure that security was restored at the market. She complained that despite having suspects and reporting such incidences to the security wings, nothing was being done. Ms Chama complained that the security situation had remained the same, a situation she said was discouraging business men and women as most of them were contemplating on leaving the market place for fear of being robbed. When contacted for a comment, Chingola Mayor, Titus Tembo, assured the marketeers as well as shop owners that security at the would be seriously looked into. Mr Tembo however urged all those that the marketeers to always report the robberies to the police so that the perpetrators could be apprehended.