By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI –
CONSTRUCTION of the modern Solwezi Municipal Council office block has advanced and the building is expected to be completed in December this year.
China De Jian Group of Companies is building the municipality’s civic centre which started in January this year.
Solwezi Municipal Council public relations officer Thandiwe Tembo said the total construction project was worth K15 million.
Ms Tembo said the project was being funded by the local authority which had so far paid about K8 million towards the construction.
The structure, which would add beauty to the district, is situated in front of the current office.
Ms Tembo said the new structure, which would be a three-storey building, would have 45 offices. The current old structure had 20 offices.
“The council embarked on the construction of the new building because of limited office space,” she said.
Ms Tembo said that completion of the structure would help the council to be more effective in service provision in the district.
She said council health inspectors who were working from the depot offices would be moved to the current council offices, while the depot office would be upgraded to a fire department.
Meanwhile, the council has embarked on a programme to pave the bus stations in the central business district.
Ms Tembo said so far, the main bus station had been paved and currently the Zambezi Bus Station is being paved.

Nkandela residents want boreholes
By SARAH MWANZA –
SOME residents in Chief Nkandela’s chiefdom in Southern Province have called on the Government to construct more boreholes in the area.
The residents said they travelled long distances to fetch water, causing some children to drop out of school, while some teachers were reporting late for work.
Gift Mulenga said the area had few existing boreholes located in far places, thereby forcing women and young girls to endure the long distances in search of the commodity.
She said the water problem needed serious Government attention to safeguard the lives of the children, especially girls.
“The women and children wake up early in the morning in search of the commodity putting their lives at risk because some get raped on the way,” she said.
Pastance Bwanga, a grade seven pupil at Nkandela Basic School, said she usually missed school as she spent most of her time in search of water.
Pastance said she, like others, was sometimes forced to draw water from streams even when the water was contaminated.
“We walk long distances to draw water which is not even safe for drinking. All we need is the Government to sink some more boreholes in the area,” Pastance said.
Alick Kamba said it was a pity to see young girls miss classes because of spending most of their time in search of water.
Alick said the situation worsened during the hot season as most existing boreholes dried up prompting the residents to draw water from shallow wells.
Village headman Edwin Kanchele said it was a pity to see that even Nkandela Basic School had no running water.
Headman Kanchele said teachers and pupils at the school depended on water from the boreholes causing them to report for work late.
“Our girl-children always miss school during their menses because the school has no running water,” he said.

‘Stop politicising voter registration exercise’

By ADRIAN MWANZA –
LUSAKA District Commissioner Davison Mulenga has said the opposition should stop politicising the ongoing voter registration process.
Captain Mulenga urged the opposition to stop being short-sighted and embrace the move as it was aimed at improving the voters’ register.
He said it was unfortunate that some opposition political parties were taking swipes at the Government and President Edgar Lungu over programmes that were benefiting the country’s well-being.
Captain Mulenga said the process was not discriminatory and that every well-meaning Zambian citizen was free to take part, regardless of their political affiliation.
“These people should know that this process is not discriminatory and everyone is encouraged to take part regardless of their political affiliation,” he said.
He said some politicians were hell-bent on denting the Government’s image and were busy mudslinging to get publicity.
“Some politicians are hell-bent on denting and damaging the Government’s image by spreading falsehoods in a bid to get publicity,” Captain Mulenga said.
He urged Zambians not to be swayed by such selfish politicians who were just after increasing their political mileage.
Captain Mulenga said the process was receiving massive response, especially in Lusaka where people were queuing up in large numbers.

Ndola-Luanshya roadworks stall

By YVONNE CHATE –
CONSTRUCTION works on the Ndola-Luanshya Road on the Copperbelt from the Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) roundabout have stalled.
This was after the contractor working on the road abandoned the works for non-payments by the Road Development Agency (RDA).
China JX, the contractor working on the four kilometres of the Ndola-Luanshya Road, abandoned the construction works for not being paid the money by RDA.
Ndola-Luanshya Road users have bemoaned the stalled construction works, which is creating uncontrollable congestion at the NCH roundabout.
Chanda Mwelwa, a bus driver in Ndola complained that the stalled works were inconveniencing road users as they opted to use other roads in Kansenshi Township.
“We are inconvenienced by the stalled works on the road and we are subjected to using other routes in Kansenshi to avoid being delayed by the congestion,” he said.
Meanwhile, Copperbelt Minister Mwenya Musenge has called on RDA to expedite the works on the route to avoid inconveniences and other foreseen negative activities arising from congestion.
Mr Musenge was disappointed by the slow pace at which China JX was working on the road.
He said that RDA should push the works to curb conveniences that were created as a result of stalled works.
“As the provincial minister, I am extremely disappointed at the slow pace at which the contractor working on the road is moving, RDA should push to remove the inconveniences created by the stalled works.
“The road that is being used now was created as a temporal by-pass road with the aim that the main road will be completed in a very short period,” he said.

Chiefs call for stiff laws on early marriage

By ADRIAN MWANZA
TRADITIONAL leaders have called on the Government to stiffen laws to combat early marriages in Zambia.
The traditional leaders said the Government needed to put in place stringent laws that would deter people from engaging in such activities.
Chief Chikanta of Kalomo said there was need for more sensitisation from the Government and other stakeholders on the dangers of allowing children getting into early marriages.
Chief Chikanta said chiefs played a pivotal role in reducing early marriages in their chiefdoms owing to the authority they commanded.
He said cases of early marriages in his chiefdom had greatly reduced and that some headmen had been influential in fighting the scourge.
Chief Chikanta, however, said the process was difficult as the headmen lacked support from stakeholders like churches and non-governmental organisations.
“Cases of early marriages have reduced due to the fact that we have gone flat-out campaigning in the chiefdom trying to sensitise people about the dangers of early marriages,” he said.
Chief Chikanta said some girls were removed from such marriages and taken back to school and that punishment on the perpetrators varied depending on the age of the husband and the parents’ attitudes.
Chief Chiyengele of the Mbunda people said that early marriages were rife in rural areas where people lacked proper sensitisation on its dangers, hence the need for stiff punishment to curb the problem.
Chief Chiyengele called on other traditional leaders to ensure that they also got involved in the fight and not only depended on the Government and other stakeholders.
“There is lack of coordination between traditional leaders and stakeholders like NGOs who are also key players in the fight against gender-based violence and early marriages,” Chief Chiyengele said.
He urged the Ministry of Community Development to release more funds to be used in crusades against early marriages.

Lusaka dog keepers settle fees

By PASSY HAACHIZO –
MORE than 60 dog owners in Lusaka who were supposed to appear in court for not complying with the registration and vaccination of dogs have paid fees to Lusaka City Council (LCC).
The owners were charged with abrogating the Control of Dogs Act Cap 294, which compells all dog owners to register and vaccinate their dogs and only two dogs were allowed to be registered per household.
LCC assistant public relations manager Brenda Katongola said those that were summoned were supposed to answer to cases ranging from not registering their dogs to leaving dogs to loiter around.
Ms Katongola said LCC had also intensified sensitisation on dog registration and vaccination before the shooting exercise was conducted.
She said LCC had resumed the shooting exercise, which is under way in some parts of the city, while sensitisation was on-going in Mtendere Township.
“We are now in Chilenje where we are shooting down stray dogs and at the same time we are sensitising dog owners in Mtendere as you know the area is too vast. At the end of the day we want fair play,” Ms Katongola said.
Registration of dogs is K72.50, while new registration is pegged at K54.50.

Lusaka council warns unlicensed abattoir owners

By Adrian Mwanza-
THE Lusaka City Council (LCC) has warned traders operating illegal abattoirs in Chibolya Township to stop or be punished.
LCC assistant spokesperson Brenda Katongola said the abattoirs in Kabesha area of Chibolya Township were not recognised by the council and the local authority would soon send in a team of health inspectors.
Ms Katongola said the carcasses posed a health risk to the people of Chibolya Township and that there was need for more sensitisation.
“There is need for people to be sensitised about the dangers of buying meat from such places which are illegal and are not certified,” she said.
She urged people to buy meat products from recognised butcheries and outlets that complied with the local authority’s regulations.
Ms Katongola said some traders sold sick animals and carcasses which later gave customers health complications once they were consumed.
She said the culprits risked being fined K450 or a six-month jail sentence for failing to comply with the Food and Drugs Act.
“The culprits risk being fined K450 or a jail sentence of six months for not complying with the Food and Drugs Act,” she said.
A Chibolya Township resident Christine Chibeka said Kabesha was a menace as traders were slaughtering animals in unsanitary conditions.
Ms Chibeka called on the local authority to capture the traders at Kabesha to bring sanity in area.
She said the situation was bad during the rainy season because the stench which emanated from the abattoir was unbearable.
Ms Chibeka said poverty forced people to buy from the traders although it was evident that some animals were sick and frail.