By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

GOVERNMENT is concerned that Kafubu River in Ndola is choked by weeds, silt and encroachment problems, have limited water supply to the southern part of the city.

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela said yesterday when he paid a visit to Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company offices and Kafubu River that it was sad that the river was clogged.

Part of Kafubu River is clogged with weed and silt and some people claiming to have title deeds have started building their houses close to the river.

Reverend Sikwela said Government was, however, doing something about the situation and had bought a dredger that would be in Ndola in September to clear the weed.

He said Government was also working with the local authority in resolving the problem.

“I have received many complaints from people in the Southern part of the city that they are not receiving water as sufficiently as they should.

“This is because Kafubu Water cannot supply water at the normal capacity because the river is clogged,” Rev Sikwela said.

He said there was an urgent need to clear the river of the weed and silt.

Rev Sikwela said he was warning people that were illegally building their houses near the river to halt their construction because those houses would be razed down eventually as their presence would negatively affect the free flow of the river.

He said those building near Kafubu River were disposing silt into the river and they would need to dispose their waste there too, which was a problem.

Rev Sikwela said the Ndola City Council should also rectify the problems of illegal land allocation that has led to people to start building near the river.

Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company water production manager Bernard Phiri said the company was facing problems in supplying water to the southern zone of Ndola because the flow of water from Kafubu River to the dam that distributes water was affected by the weed.

Mr Phiri said the structures built near the river were also affecting the free flow of the water so it was imperative that the river was cleared of the weed and silt.

Ndola Town Clerk Ernest Sumani who was at Kafubu River said the council had engaged a company called Clay Disposal Zambia to discuss how best it could clear the river and possibly prepare the river front to operate as a tourism sight.

Clay Disposal Zambia director Paul Potgieter who was studying the river said the company was preparing a proposal on how it would clear the river and most importantly propose the best way to get rid of the waste that is currently in Kafubu River.