Suspicion that opposition UPND members are controlling Buseko cooperative market has brought havoc with PF cadres vowing to take charge of the market.
But marketeers at Buseko claimed that suspected PF cadres were forcibly getting monies from them and taking over the operations of the market in the name of Lusaka City Council.
Business came to a standstill on Wednesday after cooperative supporters threatened to take over the market to prevent PF cadres from running the entity.
The traders further said that suspected PF cadres were intimidating whoever was not in support of their decisions and forced people to pay more levies, a move which was adversely affecting their business.
They said the PF cadres threatened to kick out traders who were in support of the cooperative management which they suspected was in support of opposition UPND.
“The cadres have taken over the running of the market and they are in control of everything. If they hear you talking against what they want, you will not even know how you will be approached and make sure you suffer the consequences,’ they said.
But Patriotic Front Buseko market chairman Lackson Chilufya said the market was no longer under the cooperative as all its functions had been taken over by the council.
He said that the cooperative did not own the market because the matter was in court and that the cooperative had no right to destabilize business at the place.
Chilufya said he would ensure there was peace at the market and warned those who wanted to destabilize its operation of severe consequences.
“I want to make it clear that the cooperative has no power over this market because the matter is in court, and if they insist to come here, we will defend this market because it will be contempt of court,” he said.
He wondered why there was confusion regarding the matter because the area MP Miles Sampa announced that the market was under the council and not the cooperative.
“Our area MP Miles Sampa told us that Buseko market is not under the cooperative but the council and we wonder why there are people who still want to bring confusion,” he said.
Chilufya said that the situation was back to normal, though his cadres were put on full alert in case some people still wanted to run the market, adding that he was ready to help the police apprehend those who wanted to start trouble.
And a check by the Daily Nation yesterday revealed that business had normalized.
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