Sikota calls for upgrading of low-income settlements

Sikota calls for upgrading of low-income settlements
By Chibaula Silwamba
Saturday September 22, 2007 [04:01]

UNITED Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota has urged the government to formulate policies that will mitigate the effects of rural-urban migration on the development of houses in cities. In a statement yesterday, Sikota suggested that the government and the local authorities adopt the low-income settlement upgrading programmes in all towns and cities to solve housing shortages.

“This approach has the advantages of incorporating the needs of the poor and encouraging community participation which is a necessary ingredient in all development projects,” Sikota stated.

“Above all, low income settlement upgrading programmes are a cheaper method of providing housing to the poor. Given the lack of major investment in housing development by government this approach could be the best solution in solving the problem of housing in the short term.”

He stated that it was the governments responsibility to provide decent shelter capable of meeting diverse physical, social and psychological needs of the people.

Sikota stated that the government should implement appropriate policies that would reduce rural-urban migration.

“These can include providing better opportunities in rural areas and small towns so that capital cities are not the only centers of attraction in Zambia,” he stated. “There are also inadequate institutional frameworks for urban housing in most towns resulting in haphazard growth of urban areas.”

Sikota stated that with regard to institutional inadequacies in urban areas, policies must be formulated to integrate housing programmes with multiple problems of society.

“It has been noted by experts that generally there is lack of co-ordination and integration of economic planning with physical and social planning in Zambia. This housing strategy must take into account the socio economic needs of the beneficiaries,” stated Sikota.