Traders Told to Keep Inflammable Materials Off Market

Government has called on shop owners plying their trade in markets to avoid keeping inflammable materials like petrol in their shops to avoid causing unwanted fires that destroy property.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Grace Maseko said this Tuesday  after officially handing over Mzimba Market building.

“Of late a number of markets have been gutted  resulting into the loss of property worth millions  of kwacha. We can avoid this by not keeping things like petrol in our shops,” said the Minister.

The Minister also discouraged illegal electricity connections which said is also one of the causes of market fires.

Just three days ago a fire believed to have been sparked  by a power surge after a blackout destroyed 65 shops at Mpherembe market in Mzimba.