PROPOSED K10 GARBAGE LEVY NOT GOVERNMENT POLICY - MINISTER
By SIMON MUNTEMBA THE Lusaka mayor’s position of cutting a monthly garbage fee of K10 from all the residents through phone air time is not yet a government policy, Lusaka Province Minister, Japhen Mwakalombe has clarified.
And Mr. Mwakalombe has called for peace beyond political affiliation saying that there was no need whatsoever to have ha- tred among political players in the nation.
Recently, Lusaka mayor, Wilson Kalumba revealed that his office had proposed a garbage fee of K10 to be paid by all residents monthly to be collected through phone air time.
Mr Kalumba said he met officials from the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) to discuss the proposed figures.
Mr Kalumba said ZICTA indicated that there are 12 million subscribers in Zambia and he urged residents to support the move.
But speaking when he featured on the Patriotic Front Interactive Forum platform on Sunday, Mr. Mwakalombe, who is Chongwe Member of Parliament said that he is yet to discuss the idea with the mayor.
Mr. Mwakalombe indicated that the mayor’s position was not yet government policy. “The mayor’s position of cutting a monthly garbage fee of K10 from all the residents through phone air time is not yet a government policy… I am yet to discuss the idea with the mayor,” Mr. Mwakalombe said.
Mr. Mwakalombe, however, stated that there was need to add value to the waste being generated around the city through the generation of energy from the waste.
He disclosed that a Chinese company specialised in turning garbage into electricity energy has already visited the country.
And Mr. Mwakalombe has called on all political players to practice mature politics stating that politics of slander, name calling and politics which peddle lies were retrogressive to the nation.
He bemoaned the lack of political tolerance that was being witnessed in the nation from certain political parties.
Mr. Mwakalombe expressed displeasure at the regional and tribal politics that were being practiced in certain parts of the nation and emphasized the need for co-existence if the nation was to prosper and see meaningful development.
He appealed to all political players in the nation to put the people they were serving first, stating that politics was a service and those in leadership and those aspiring for leadership were but servants of the people.
Mr. Mwakalombe has asked all well-meaning Zambians to denounce violence stating that belonging to different political parties was no excuse to propagate violence for any reason whatsoever.