Lubumbashi: Launch of Mzée Market Modernization Works Postponed
The launch of the modernization works at the Mzée Laurent-Désiré Kabila Market, commonly known as Lusonga, which had been scheduled for Thursday, August 20, 2026, has been postponed to a later date.
No new deadline has yet been announced. The decision comes as the relocation of approximately 17,000 vendors continues to raise concerns.
The modernization project at the Mzée Laurent-Désiré Kabila Market will ultimately not begin on the announced date.
According to a source close to the provincial authorities, the launch of the works, initially scheduled for August 20, has simply been postponed, with no new date specified.
The postponement follows several weeks of tensions surrounding the relocation of traders.
Vendors had opposed their relocation to several markets across Lubumbashi, arguing that such dispersion could separate them from their customers and lead to a decline in their income.
Vendors Remain at Mzée Market
Some traders interviewed by Mining and Business Magazine say they have been instructed to continue operating at the Lusonga Market while awaiting the identification of another relocation site.
They also indicate that they have been asked to continue paying taxes related to their commercial activities.
For the time being, this situation allows them to maintain their businesses and avoid a premature closure of the market.
The New School Year Among the Concerns
Other sources close to the matter cite the current economic context as one of the factors behind the postponement.
Provincial authorities reportedly want to give parents more time to prepare for the new school year scheduled to begin in early September.
For traders, this period also represents an important time for household income.
An immediate closure or relocation could therefore further complicate their economic situation.
A New Deadline Awaited
The postponement does not mean that the project has been abandoned.
Provincial authorities maintain their intention to modernize this important commercial infrastructure in Lubumbashi.
What remains to be determined is the new timetable for the works and, above all, the site that will temporarily accommodate the vendors.
With approximately 17,000 traders affected, relocation remains the central issue in the matter.
Pending new instructions, the Mzée Laurent-Désiré Kabila Market continues to operate.
The postponement of the August 20 deadline therefore opens a new period of discussions between the authorities and representatives of the traders.
Héritier Maila
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