Help restore Mwembeshi Police Post, business community urged

By Ann Zulu

THE Community Committee in George compound has called on the corporate world to assist in reconstructing Mwembeshi Police Post which was set ablaze recently.

Irate George residents last month burnt down Mwembeshi Police Post in protest after the suspected ritual killings in the area.

However, the community mobilised themselves to reconstruct the police post to maintain police presence in the area.

                               Mwembeshi Police Post

Committee representative Richard Sichela said works on the police post stalled due to insufficient funds.

“We mobilized ourselves and have already started rebuilding the police post, but we are facing some challenges in terms of funds. There is a lot which needs to be done, such as the roofing and other building materials,” he said

Mr. Sichela noted that although some few companies had assisted, there was need for more companies to come on board if the police post was to be completed on time.

He called on the corporate world to extend its social responsibility to the people of George and help to restore police presence to the area.

Mr. Sichela said the police post was a safe haven for residents and kept crime under control, saying that there were a lot of criminal activities in the area.

“We appreciate some few companies that have helped us, but we need more companies to come on board too. There are a lot of criminal activities in George compound and people cannot live without a police post,” he said.

Youths cry to Govt for empowerment

By Ann Zulu

YOUTHS in Lusaka’s Jack compound have called on Government and the business community to empower them.

They lamented that they had no recreational facilities, prompting them to engage in illicit activities such as drug and alcohol abuse.

                                          Youths in Lusaka

“The majority of young people in this community are unemployed and we do not have any recreational facilities;  that’s why we resort to drinking beer,” the youths said.

According to one youth, Kelvin Zimba, there was need for Government to implement youth policies which were already in place.

 “Government should make it possible for young people to contribute to the country's economic growth by implementing youth policies to empower them. The Youth Empowerment Fund should be made accessible to all,” he said

Mr. Zimba also stressed that the business community had a pivotal role to play to make life easier for young people who were the future workforce and entrepreneurs of the country.

He urged the business community to initiate projects that would empower young people in the area.

Another youth Martha Mwenya implored Government to help the people in the area by improving water reticulation.

She noted that water supply was erratic and the community depended on water kiosks.

“Water still remains a challenge here; so we are requesting Government to look into this issue and help us,” she said.

Chawama National Assembly office opens

By Ann Zulu

THE National Assembly office for Chawama constituency has opened, says area ward councillor Potipher Tembo.

Mr Tembo confirmed  in an interview that the office was built at a cost of K250,000 with the help of the corporate world.

Previously the Parliamentary office for the constituency was at Findeco building on Cairo Road.

                         New Chawama constituency office

 “We had no secure and permanent place, so we decided to think outside the box and involve the corporate world. The owner of Embassy mall is the one who gave us K250,000 and as area councillor I was able to facilitate the land, so it was built purely under corporate social responsibility,” he said.

Mr. Tembo said he was delighted that the office had been opened in his ward.

He noted that this would enable the constituents to have easy access to their leaders.

“For me, as area councillor I am very honoured and happy. It gives a voter an upper hand in accessing their Member of Parliament and councillors.

“Now there are no transport challenges like it was the case at Findeco House. We want to create a provision where all the four councillors will be operating from the same roof,” he said.

Mr. Tembo observed that the opening of the office in the constituency had reduced the cost that the National Assembly had been paying in form of rentals.

Man with 6 wives

They say it is controversial, one might even say dramatic for one man to have many wives.

                                      Jonas Matibenga with his five wives

Most questions that probably run on many people’s minds when they hear that a man has many wives are that; why would one man have a lot of wives? How does he manage to feed them all together with their children? Does he really love them all?

I recently visited Chisholeka village in Chongwe District and met this 90 years old jovial man.....Mr.Jonas Matibenga a farmer and polygamist. He had six wives, but unfortunately one of them died, living him with five and he claims to love them all.

                                            Jonas Matibenga

The most interesting part is he has 47 children and 70 grandchildren. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Public outrage over filthy Inter-city toilets

By Ann zulu

TRAVELLERS and visitors have expressed outrage at the state of the fee-paying public toilets at Lusaka’s Inter-city bus terminus – the country’s inter-connector hub to all parts of Zambia and beyond.

                                  Inter-city bus terminus 

While a toilet is supposed to be a clean place to prevent the breeding of germs, council-owned toilets at the busy Inter-city bus terminus have turned into bacteria incubators.

A visit at the terminus’ ladies toilets  revealed a bad and disgusting state of affairs, as the toilets were not flushing; the floors were strewn with feacal matter and urine and toilet door handles were broken.

And some travelers talked to expressed anger and shock at the filthy state of the toilets and accused Lusaka City Council of failing to maintain the facility although the council was collecting thousands of Kwacha every day from people paying to use them.

Nabwalya Kabwe, a business lady who travels to and from Nakonde at least twice a week, noted that the state of the toilets at the country’s largest bus station was a major health risk to the public, as people using them were exposed to diseases.

She said it was absurd that the local authority had failed to maintain the toilets when people where paying K2 to use them.

“It is so disgusting; immediately you just step in all you see are faeces and urine everywhere on the floor and I wonder what the local authority is doing about this because this issue has been there for quite a while now.

“The toilet doors can’t lock because the handles are broken, so one has to hold the door shut while using the toilet,” she said.

Another traveler, Mary Moonga, implored LCC to act quickly as the poor state of the toilets at the bus terminus was an embarrassment to Zambians and a disgrace to travelers from other countries who used them.

“The council should do something as soon as possible because we have visitors and tourists who use these toilets; what will they think of us as a country?

“Health inspectors should visit the toilets and see for themselves; they keep collecting money but fail to maintain health standards,” she said.

Chawama Clinic Staff under fire

By Ann Zulu

MEDICAL staff at Chawama Clinic in Lusaka have come under fire over a wide range of unprofessional conduct stretching from extortion to harassment of patients.

The patients who expressed disgust at the manner in which the health institution was being run, accused the staff of causing emotional trauma to patients who visited the Clinic in need of medical attention.

                                        Chawama Clinic

An elderly woman who identified herself as Nakulu Mubanga told this reporter that the health facility had been transformed into a disaster area, with nurses being the chief culprits.

“We spent almost the entire day queuing only to be told that 

there is no medicine and we have to look for it elsewhere. I am 69 years old and terribly ill, where do I get the energy and money to buy medicine? This Clinic is no longer the way it used to be in those days, nurses are rude,” she lamented.

Another patient Mutinta Hakalima, who recently gave birth from the clinic, accused nurses operating from the maternity ward of harassing women in the ward.

She called on government to send health inspectors to inspect the ward frequently and take stern action against the culprits.

“I gave birth at the clinic two weeks ago, I went there hoping that I will be helped to give birth to my baby by experts, but I was shocked by the way I was treated together with other women.

“The nurses were rude; we were not given the attention we needed. It was a horrible experience and I think government should start inspecting the wards and see how women are treated by the so-called nurses,”

But Lusaka Provincial Medical Officer Kennedy Malama assured that patients and members of the public that his office would investigate the matter further.

Dr. Malama said it was the mandate of the health sector to provide quality health services to the people

He implored members of the public to alert government on such irregularities at public health institutions.

“Such feedback from the people is important, because we use it on how we can continuously improve health services provisions. We will investigate this issue and culprits will be dealt with, so it is important thatwe area informed of any irregularities at public health institutions,” Dr.Malama said.

Bauleni water crisis sorted out, Sata.

By Ann Zulu

FUNDING has been put in place to address the water problem in Lusaka’s Bauleni Township, Lusaka province Minister Mulenga Sata has disclosed.

Mr. Sata was reacting to complaints by residents over the closure of some boreholes in the area which they said had caused a water crisis for over a month now.

Recently, the Ministry of Health closed some boreholes in Bauleni following the outbreak of Cholera in the area.

The residents lamented that the move by government to close some boreholes had brought them misery as they had to scramble and walk long distances to access water.

They implored government to look into the issue as soon as possible, stating that water was one of the most important basic commodities people could do without.

Mr. Sata said government was aware of the situation in the Township.

                     Lusaka province Minister Mulenga Sata

“The problem is to do with the contamination of boreholes that has been put up by the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC).As you are aware, all the water in Bauleni is supplied from boreholes,” Mr. Sata said.

He assured the residents that the water challenge would soon be a thing of the past, as funds had already been put in place to address the situation.

Mr. Sata told this reported an interview that a directive had already been given to LWSC to clean the boreholes and provide more water tankers to the affected area.

“LWSC has been working on this situation; all these challenges will be a thing of the past very soon. The water utility has also been directed to put up more water tankers in the area,” he said.

Mr. Sata further stated that efforts had been made through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to supply water during this period.