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Blantyre City Council cautions musicians on street vending

The Blantyre City Council (BCC) has warned musicians to desist from engaging in rowdy promotions along the streets of the commercial city.

The warning comes in the wake of a chain of promotions some artists are engaged in where they use a vehicle with loud speakers to draw the attention of prospective customers.

Mr Jokes
Mr Jokes

BCC public relations manager, Anthony Kasunda, said last week it is against the council’s by-laws to be going around town with a megaphone or speakers.

“The trend is bad as it disrupts business. The artists go around town making noise while some people are on phone calls and others in meetings. The noise disturbs others in the course of their duty,” he said.

Kasunda stressed that it is against the law to be going around promoting and/or selling art; be it with noise or not as art has its designated places where it can be displayed and sold.

As the council is re-allocating the vendors, Kasunda said, artists have to conform to the order by desisting from selling in undesignated places.

“Artists have to be selling in designated places only, failing which we will confiscate their items,” he warned.

But one of the musicians, Thoko Katimba, described the directive as unfortunate for artists.

“It is very unfortunate. I wish our council would come up with a solution to stop piracy than keep on punishing artists. Currently, we are forced to pay the sum of K20 000 per day to promote and sell our DVDs in cities, which is too expensive. We need to sit down as artists and map a way forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, Musician Union of Malawi (MUM) says most musicians are aware of the directive and that the body will keep on sensitising musicians to comply with the laws.

MUM president Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango told The Nation that the union will not defend any musician working against this directive as they have done enough to warn artists on the same.

Artists who are promoting on their own through this mode include Great Angels Choir, Ethel Kamwendo-Banda, King James Phiri, Lloyd Phiri, Neligo Women’s Choir, Thoko Katimba, Joe Gwaladi and Mr Jokes.

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