Upon the removal of some vendors’ in Limbe, Blantyre City Council (BCC) gave a grace period for all inappropriately placed vendors to relocate. BCC Spokesperson Anthony Kasunda outlined that the grace period is over and the council will move on the vendors.

 “The vendors asked us to give them time to remove their structures and we gave them seven days for that. Now that time has come to an end and we are planning how to do the operation.” said Kasunda.

Vendors in Blantyre and Mzuzu have been protesting since President Bingu wa Mutharika ordered vendors to leave the streets in 2006. The councils swiftly issued eviction orders and deployed armed forces to demolish shops and benches along the country’s streets. Meanwhile, Mzuzu City Council is losing K150 million a year due to illegal vending, according to its

spokesperson McDonald Gondwe. The sum is enough to pay its staff for two months, averting protracted strikes against delayed pay that left the city inundated with uncollected.