Zomba Central Member of Parliament, Bester Awali, has urged the Ministry of Local Government to convert the unused Matawale modern market into a Community Day Secondary School (CDSS).
The market, built by the government in 2012, has remained unoccupied as vendors and market users have deemed its location unsuitable.
Local communities have repeatedly requested the Zomba City Council to repurpose the market into a facility that would benefit the area. The prolonged delay in finding a solution has led to vandalism at the site.
On Friday, Awali reminded the line minister, Richard Chimwendo Banda, to consider the proposal during a supplementary question in Parliament.
In response, Banda acknowledged that political factors in 2012 influenced the decision to construct the market at its current location. He noted that converting the market into a CDSS would require proper consultations with all relevant stakeholders.
The Zomba City Council has lost significant revenue over the past twelve years due to the market’s underutilization.
