Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) Lusaka Residents blame Opposition Councillors for floods

Lusaka Residents blame Opposition Councillors for floods
Friday, February 5, 2010, 7:39

IRATE Lusaka residents have blamed their area councillors and Members of Parliament (MP) of failing to address the perennial floods in the city and have warned that politicians risked de-campaigning themselves if nothing was done.

Mr David Mkandawire of Chaisa Township said the problem of floods in Lusaka needed urgent attention and threatened to de-campaign politicians who had taken the electorate for granted.

He said politicians were failing to deliver on their election promises and had not met the people’s expectations.

Mr John Phiri of Mandevu said it was sad that the issue of floods had continued despite promises from politicians who had not done much to resolve the problem.

Mr Phiri called on the area councillor to find ways of resolving the problem and claimed that in the last few days, most schoolgoing children had not been able to go to school because the roads were impassable.

He said it was saddening that despite paying land rates to the council, little improvements to their livelihood had been made.

“We are disappointed because no one seems to be in a position to help us. We have not seen any improvement either on our roads or other necessities and worse still, when it is rainy season, you cannot even pass,” he said.

And a marketeer at City Market Jane Sakala who spoke on behalf of other women blamed the council of failing to work out a programme on how to address the floods in the city.

Mrs Sakala said in the last few days, because of the heavy rains, there was little business because customers shunned the market.

She called on the law enforcement agencies to investigate how the council was using the levies collected from the marketeers.

But Kanyama Patriotic Front (PF) MP Gerry Chanda blamed the Government for failure to release grants for nearly all the councils rendering them unproductive.

Col Chanda said currently, most councils had no source of revenue because all the houses and other sources of income were sold.

He said calls for him and other councillors to resign were not genuine but politically motivated, as people wanted to gain political support over the situation.

But Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarkio Kazonga said councillors should be sincere because the Government had been releasing all the grants for the capital projects to all the 72 councils.

Dr Kazonga said last year for instance, the Government had released all grants and other entitlements by December for the councils to undertake various projects including drainages.

He said that the Government was doing its part but the councils were failing the people because they were not delivering the service to the residents.

Dr Kazonga called on all the councils countrywide to put to good use funds they were receiving so that the residents could be served.

He said the Government had also released the Constituency Development Fund, which the councils could use to mitigate the effects of the floods and work on things like drainages.

Chief Government Spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said that PF councillors in Lusaka should resign because they have failed the residents following the floods that the city has experienced after the heavy rains.

Gen Shikapwasha said the people were paying rates but wondered where the funds were channelled to. He challenged the councillors to explain where the funds were going to saying there was a possibility that it was channelled to PF activities. “Mr Sata should concentrate on helping the councillors to solve the drainage system instead of him talking about the NCC which he refused to be part of,” Gen Shikapwasha said.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Gen Shikapwasha said the poor drainage system in
Lusaka should be a concern of the councillors considering that residents were paying too much in the form of rates.

Gen Shikapwasha said the people were paying rates but wondered where the funds were channelled to. He challenged the councillors to explain where the funds were going to saying there was a possibility that it was channelled to PF activities.

“Mr Sata should concentrate on helping the councillors to solve the drainage system instead of him talking about the NCC which he refused to be part of,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

He said that Zambians wanted to see development and as a result, he said that councillors should show that they could deliver rather than continuous politicking.

Gen Shikapwasha said the issue of drainage was about life and the councillors should therefore look at the matter with a sense of urgency.

Kitwe District Commissioner (DC), MacDonald Mtine said one needed not to be told that most drainages in the city were blocked because it was clear for anyone to see.

Mr Mtine said the problem of poor drainage system in the city was a straight and direct responsibility of the council and that the local authority should account for it.

Copperbelt Provincial Local Government Officer, Solomon Sakala also expressed concern at the poor state of drainages saying his office had noted how the problem was causing most streets to flood after heavy rains.

[Times of Zambia]

Labels: FLOODS, LCC

posted by MrK @ 4:18 PM