PROBE LUSAKA WATER CRISIS
... Might be ploy for economic sabotage by cartel
By NATION REPORTER AUTHORITIES should look into the ongoing water crisis in Lusaka because it might be a ploy by some elements of the cartel to cause a stir in the nation, opposition leaders have advised.
Water blues have rocked Lusaka city with some areas now entering six weeks without the commodity.
This has incensed some opposition leaders who are now calling on authorities to be alert as they strongly suspect that the cartel might be at play.
Change Life Zambia leader, Joseph Kasongo, and 3rd Liberation Movement's Enoch Tonga said that in as much as the American government meant well for Zambia through sustainable projects under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), some disgruntled local politicians may take advantage of the assistance.
The opposition leaders warned that the cartel were ready to use any means to advance their agenda and get at government.
Mr Kasongo said that the water reticulation projects were welcome but that authorities should not completely rule out possibilities of sabotage by some individuals with a hidden agenda.He reiterated that the water rationing schedule was deadly especially with the cholera outbreak that government was fighting hard to curb.
"The water reticulation programs are well intended and we thank the American government. However, let's not forget that there are many people involved and some have hidden agendas. So authorities should be alert and not completely rule out possibilities of sabotage," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Tonga said that the cartel should not be undermined adding that government should be wary of its schemes at all times.
He said reiterated that the cartel had infiltrated many institutions and would use anything at their disposal to undermine government efforts.
Mr Tonga said that they were too many enemies of the state in different institutions bent on seeing government fail to deliver.
He advised authorities to probe the current water crisis and ensure that it was not a deliberate move to cause a stir in the nation.
Mr Tonga wondered how technocrats would allow the city be starved of water for such a long period of time especially with the outbreak of cholera.
"These people are clever, they know that even the bosses are unsuspecting. You can find that some elements of the cartel just want people to die so that they can start saying government has failed to contain cholera," he said.
The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) in collaboration with Millennium Challenge Account Zambia has since successfully managed to install the first new river intake pump at Iolanda Water Treatment Plant (IWTP) in Kafue although water pressure remains low until the second installation is complete.