Will LCC demolish illegal structures?

FINALLY, the Lusaka City Council’s (LCC) planned demolition of illegal structures in Emmasdale Township and in other areas in the is in the pipeline.

This time around, LCC town clerk Alex Mwansa has made it clear that the council will go ahead with the demolition exercise in the city without fear or favour

It is also clear from Mr Mwansa that the exercise will be executed in accordance with the laid down procedures. This is how it should be, the law must be followed and applied fairly to all citizens.

While the bone of contention is centered on illegal structures in Emmasadale Township in form of gates erected on public roads, the council should go ahead and raze down illegal structures wherever they will be identified in the city.

Engineers, according to Mr Mwansa, are presently busy on the ground identifying illegal structures and once that is done, 7-day enforcement notices will be issued to owners of the illegal structures.

At the expiry of this period, the council will be at liberty to move in and demolish the structures if the owners don’t.

Illegal structures as the name suggests are unlawful regardless of who and which residential area they are erected, so it is only proper that they are razed down to protect the image of the city and to ensure sanity prevails.

Hats off to the council for taking a stand against such illegalities by insisting on going ahead with the demolitions. It is high time the council brought sanity to the city, where it seems illegal construction has become a norm.

It is our view that the demolition exercise will serve as a timely lesson for people who are in the habit of defying the law and putting up illegal structures that in some cases are an eyesore.

Already, there are numerous complaints from the Ministry of Lands and Lusaka-based law makers including councillors that illegal structures, such as those built on road reserves are blocking developments.

In some cases, road projects and others national initiatives are unable to proceed because of illegal structures which have become a common phenomenon in Lusaka.

This is why we back calls by Kanyama constituency Member of Parliament, Elizabeth Phiri and Matero constituency lawmaker, Lloyd Kaziya on the local authority to expedite the demolition exercise.

But the bottom line is that the council should not wait for people to build illegal structures then later come to demolish. Prevention is always better than cure as it saves on unnecessary costs on the part of the illegal builder and the council itself.

Instead, it is appropriate for the council to build capacity in its inspection or monitoring systems to prevent more illegal structures from mushrooming in the city.

A quick bird’s eye view of Lusaka shows illegal structures mushrooming at a fast rate in townships and compounds beyond the normal carrying capacities of these areas. Little wonder there are problems of blocked sewers all over.

But is folly and mindboggling that some citizens deliberately opt to put up illegal structures on land that is earmarked for development knowing very well that it is against the law.

In this vein, we fully agree with the Mr Mwansa that the local authority should demolish all illegal structures that will be identified in the capital city without fear or favour.

With this in mind, we urge the council not to backpedal on the matter simply because the move will raffle someone people’s feathers.

We are alive to the fact that the last time the demolition could not proceed in Emmasdale and in others because of legal technicalities.

However, given the explanation by the town clerk that the demolition will be done in accordance with the Urban and Region Planning Act, we see no reason for any person to cry foul. That’s the price to pay for breaking the law.