Zambian Local Government Minister has appealed to street vendors in capital Lusaka to immediately leave the streets or they will "face the wrath of the law," local newspaper The Post reported Saturday.

Sylvia Masebo said during a press briefing on Friday that street vendors were going to be arrested and brought before the courts, adding they had done enough talking which had "fallen on deaf ears."

"They will be fined and if they fail to pay, the will be imprisoned ... we need to clean our towns and city, we need to improve hygiene," the minister said.

This is not the first time in Zambia that street vendors are ordered to leave the streets to trade at designated points.

They were accused of turning the city's central business area into a big market and were blamed for the disorder of the city.

However, street vendors complained that there was no business in designated market places and refused to bow to the order.

Two weeks ago, the Lusaka City Council and police removed makeshift stores in the city center but they have since returned.

Source: Xinhua