Presidential initiative pushes council to act
RESIDENTS of Makalanguzu Township at the Kazungula Border in the Kazungula district of Southern Province have praised President Edgar Lungu for directing all councils in the country to keep their districts clean in the wake of the cholera outbreak.
According to the residents, the council was failing to collect garbage from the township market, grade the road that leads to the township until the presidential directive came into force a week ago.
In an interview with the Daily Nation in Kazungula shortly after the Cholera Prevention Taskforce led by Kazungula Border Immigrations Officer in Charge Michael Banda moved in to collect the heaps of garbage which were marooned at Makalanguzu market, a trader Ms. Nawa accused the council of neglecting their township.
Ms. Nawa who sells dry fish, tomatoes and vegetables said that the council has been reluctant to keep the market clean by collecting garbage despite it being one of the sources of revenue collection for the local authority. “If the President had not told them to come and collect garbage at our market, they were not going to do so. We have been complaining about the heaps of garbage in this township but the council has been reluctant to remove it,” Ms. Nawa said. “Tionga zikomo kuli ba president pakuti nvelela chifundo. Ngati siba Lungu, ba council sembe sibanalete bantu bo chosa vishala kuno ku market (we thank the President for feeling pity on us, had it not been for him, the council would not have brought in people to remove the garbage at this market) said Ms. Nawa.
Taskforce Chairperson Michael Banda thanked the Daewoo for releasing and allowing some of its equipment such as the grader, compactor, tipper trucks and front loader to be used to clean up the border town. Mr. Banda was optimistic that with the corporation which has so far been exhibited by the community, the exercise will yield its positive results.