Lilongwe City Council thought it had cleared the way for a major relocation of Wakawaka Market, until the High Court stepped in with a ruling that has thrown everything into uncertainty.
Vendors at Wakawaka Market, also known as Solomon Market, have been given temporary relief after the High Court stopped the LCC from relocating the busy trading centre as a legal battle over its future continues.
The order has effectively frozen relocation plans, leaving traders in limbo but under protection as the court considers whether the matter should proceed to full judicial review.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda said the injunction was necessary because the case is still before the court and a decision on whether to grant judicial review has not yet been made.
The ruling follows an earlier injunction obtained by the landowner where Wakawaka Market is situated, which also barred authorities from moving vendors until the matter is fully determined.
The dispute over the market has been building for months, with tensions flaring in May when Lilongwe City Council moved in to demolish parts of the market, triggering confusion and confrontation as vendors resisted the operation.
The demolition sparked anger among traders, who accused authorities of acting without adequate consultation, while council officials maintained the action was part of enforcing planning regulations and clearing a road reserve earmarked for infrastructure development.
At the centre of the disagreement is the council’s position that the market was operating on private land without proper authorization and that its location contributed to congestion, sanitation challenges and safety risks for motorists and pedestrians.
Authorities have also linked the relocation push to the planned expansion of the M1 Road, arguing that trading activities in the area must be cleared to allow smooth infrastructure works.
Vendors, however, have continued to resist relocation, arguing that Wakawaka Market is a major source of income for thousands of families and that forced removal would devastate livelihoods built over many years.
