The Zomba City Council (ZCC) has reported an annual revenue loss of about K20 million caused by illegal vending and unauthorized parking by taxi operators.

James Mafunga, ZCC Director of Finance, revealed this during a stakeholder engagement meeting in the city.

During the meeting, the council also introduced municipal police officers tasked with enforcing city bylaws to support improved governance.

Mafunga explained that these illegal activities significantly hinder the council’s revenue generation efforts, which in turn affects its ability to deliver essential services to city residents.

However, he expressed optimism that the introduction of municipal police officers would bring about a positive change.

Feston Kachepa, Chairperson of the Zomba Flea Market, welcomed the move, stating that the deployment of municipal police officers would enable legal vendors to conduct their businesses without interference from illegal operators.

Inspector Tikhala Mkumbira, who heads the municipal police unit, pledged to collaborate with stakeholders across the city to ensure the effective enforcement of existing bylaws.