It seems disorder has become our order.
Look around our towns and cities. There is disorder on our streets, in our markets and in many of our public spaces. What should be orderly places have become spaces where everyone seems to do as they please, often with little regard for others.
We see pedestrians crossing roads wherever they please, even where designated crossing points exist. Bus drivers stop anywhere to pick up or drop off passengers, sometimes blocking traffic without the slightest concern for other road users.
We witness this almost every evening when we knock off from work. As motorists queue patiently in traffic, some drivers suddenly create their own lanes, squeezing through spaces never intended for vehicles.
Others drive along road shoulders or force their way into queues, determined to get ahead of everyone else.
But this culture of disorder extends far beyond our roads.
Walk through some of our markets and you will find traders occupying walkways, drainage channels and spaces meant for public access. In some places, pedestrians must squeeze between makeshift stalls or walk onto busy roads because pavements have been taken over.
We complain about blocked drainage systems when the rains come, yet we casually dump rubbish into those same drains. We demand clean cities but throw litter from moving vehicles, leave waste in public places and expect someone else to clean up after us.
Even where designated trading spaces, bus stops and waste disposal facilities exist, some people choose convenience over following the rules.
This brings me to the resistance against the Lusaka mayor, Chitambala Mwewa’s efforts to remove street vendors.
We struggle to understand why restoring order to our streets should attract so much opposition. Surely, we should all want a city where pedestrians can walk safely, businesses operate in designated spaces, and roads remain accessible to motorists and emergency services.
We recognise that street vending is a source of livelihood for many families. People are trying to survive, and their economic struggles cannot be dismissed. The council must therefore provide practical, affordable and accessible trading alternatives rather than simply pushing vendors from one street to another.
But we must also accept that the need to earn a living does not give anyone an unlimited right to occupy public spaces.
If we allow every trader to set up wherever they wish, every motorist to create their own lane and every resident to dispose of waste wherever convenient, what kind of cities are we building?
The problem is that we often demand discipline from others while resisting it when it inconveniences us.
We want clean streets, but we tolerate littering. We want free-flowing traffic, but we disregard road rules. We want organised markets, but we defend trading in places never intended for it.
The mayor’s efforts deserve public support, provided enforcement is fair, humane and accompanied by viable alternatives for affected traders.
Ultimately, restoring order is not simply about removing street vendors. It is about changing our attitude towards rules, public spaces and our responsibilities to one another.
We cannot continue demanding an orderly society while defending the very behaviour that makes it disorderly.
