Lusaka Province Minister  Bowman Lusambo aloba Ilyauma(has fished a dry fish), say defiant illegal traders  in apparent reference to the one day ultimatum he unleashed on them to vacate the road reserve at COMESA Market opposite Kanele Mall along Kafue Road over a week ago.

On Tuesday last week,   Lusambo made an impromptu visit to COMESA Market following an exposé published about the criminal activity taking place at the trading area.

The minister, who has taken a strong stance against illegal construction, trading and encroachments in the capital city and the province as a whole, ordered the illegal developers of stalls in the COMESA road reserve   to immediately demolish the structures before the council moves in with bulldozers.

The construction of stalls in road reserves made it impossible for fire trucks to pass and quench the COMESA fire last year.

To Lusambo’s worry, the illegal developers have gone on rampage congesting passage, leading to the Zesco Substation 33/11 KV, Kafue Road where they are hanging second hand clothes.

A cartel led by a Ugandan national, masquerading as a Zambian Farook Mwale and backed by former PF Lusaka District Chairperson Stanford Kayame  is said to be  responsible for illegally allocating trading spaces at COMESA Market and has defied numerous enforcement notices from the Lusaka City Council to demolish the permanent structures constructed on public installations such as ZESCO, Lusaka Water and Sewerage, telecommunication lines and gazzetted roads.

This criminal gang has been using its alleged links to State House to intimidate senior Lusaka City Council officials who have attempted to enforce the law and legal shop owners in the area who have attempted to resist the encroachment on their land.

Lusambo, a  no nonsense Minister, warned the illegal developers suspected to be PF cadres to leave the premises where they are damaging the drainage system  but they have since defied his orders.

“Bushe Lusambo eutulishila  abana? alatulipilila abana besu kumasukulo? alatulipilila ama rentals?Awe, apapena aloba ilyauma, ” said a stubborn trader translated as “Does Lusambo pay our children’s school fees? does he  feed our children? or does he pay our rentals? No this time around Mr Lusambo has fished a dry fish,” he said.

The country now awaits to see Lusambo’s next course of action after been defied Kayame, Farook and PF Councilor Sakala.

According to sources traders have paid colossal amounts of money to Farook and his friend hence their reluctance to vacate the said.