Business came to a standstill in Machinjiri on Thursday as small scale business operators led by Chipulumutso Phiri took to the street to protest against the delay by the Blantyre City Council to construct a market at Mthawira Trading Center.

It is said that Blantyre City Council allocated a place at Nthawira for the construction of a market and the exercise was scheduled to commence between the year 2017 and 2018 but till now nothing tangible has happened at the site.

The protesters marched from the site of the market construction to Blantyre City Council where they delivered a petition.

Speaking to the press after delivering the petition Phiri, spokesperson for the concerned business operators said he is deeply concerned with the council’s delay in constructing the market.

“The delay by the Blantyre City Council to construct a market at Nthawira has affected us greatly and most business have collapse,” said Phiri.

Phiri has since given the council a 14 days ultimatum to address the concerns in the petition.

The business operators are also pushing for rehabilitation of South Lunzu Magistrate Court which was torched during demonstrations in 2016.

The burning of the court happened after some residents were angry that there was no progress on a matter where a businessperson was killed but police kept on taking the suspects to Machinjiri Magistrate’s Court instead of taking them to the High Court where the matter was referred.

The protesters are also pushing for the upgrade of the Area 5 to Mapanga-Zomba road turn off via area 10 to a tarmac road.