Gates on public roads

WHY would anyone living on a public road seek to close off that road? This is a question we are failing to understand in relation to the development in Lusaka’s Emmasdale Township where gates have been erected on public roads. Whom does the community want to keep out and in? For weeks now, we have been reporting about illegal structures and road encroachments in Emmasdale and other parts of Lusaka such as Kanyama. In Kanyama constituency, illegal structures have even halted the construction of a major road. The community needs roads but then some of their members are blocking the path of development. In the case of Emmasdale, we do not understand why the community of some Zambians of Indian origin would want to close themselves off from everyone else. If this was a private development project, we would support such efforts to put gates to secure property and whatever else people want to hide from others. What is wrong however, is to erect a gate and put a “stop” sign, on a public road. A public road is just that, public. Meaning anyone can have access to the road, whether they live there or not. The danger in allowing people or a community to make their own rules is that the country would end up with segregation of unimaginable proportions. And that goes against everything that Zambia stands for. We are a country of laws which must be respected at all times by every citizen and or foreigner. Local council exist for the purpose of regulating urban planning and management. It is not up to an individual or group to set up shop or house wherever they want or find space. As explained by the Lusaka City Council, it is the only authority that can decide whether a road needs to be closed or not. Whatever the extenuating circumstances that forced the Emmasdale community to close off the roads, they should have consulted the city council. Not that they would have succeeded, but at least they would have known right away that what they planned was illegal. The community has been given a 24-hour ultimatum to remove the gates failure to which the council will move in and do it. We hope that the council is not making empty threats because if the gates remain in place, what would stop other people in other areas from doing the same. Yesterday, the city council followed up on the Daily Nation expose about public roads by going to the location. This is as it should be. It is good that the city officials did a physical inspection just to be sure that the status was as reported by the Daily Nation. What is surprising however, is that the council seemed not to have been aware of the gates erected on public roads. From the look of things, the gates have been there for some time if not years. The council should wake up and keep a keen eye on the city.