By PASSY HAACHIZO –

THE Kabwe Municipal Council (KMC), Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company (LgWSC) and the Ministry of Health have always worked towards bettering the lives of citizens in Kabwe by ensuring that the public is safe from waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea especially during rainy season.
However, the last month of 2017 and the first month of 2018 have been hectic for the three institutions due to an outbreak of cholera in Kabwe District.
Seven cases have been recorded as of January 3, this year.
In an effort to save lives and contain the disease, the KMC public health team has decided to take remedial measures by closing some business entities found operating in poor sanitary conditions.
The outbreak of cholera prompted the formation of a Cholera Epidemic Preparedness Committee that sat in Kabwe at Kabwe Lodge on January 2, 2018, to find a solution to the problem.
The meeting was comprised of members from both Government departments and the private sector.
It was chaired by the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) Chairperson Dominic Mulenga.
Among the things reviewed were the inspections carried out on nine restaurants and the three public toilets in the Central Business District (CBD).
The inspections were done by a combined KMC Public Health team and the Kabwe District Medical office between December 29, 2017 and January 1, 2018.
These inspections led to the closure of 34 bars in Katondo while proprietors had been issued closure notices.
Kabwe acting Town Clerk Paul Mukuka said during the same period, sensitisation campaigns were conducted in the town centre and Katondo where the first case of cholera was recorded.
Mr Mukuka, who is also KMC Public Health director, said his team took time to sensitise leaders of street vendors and directed that there should be a stop to the sale of cooked and uncooked food on the streets.
“During this period, a radio programme was hosted by Power FM and cholera messages were disseminated.
“The public address was used to sensitise residents of Katondo, Highridge, Chowa, Railways, Town Centre, Makululu, New Kasanda Market, Kawama, Mukobeko, Bwacha, and Luangwa Extension,” Mr Mukuka said.
He said that the local authority further engaged the Lions Club of Kabwe who conducted a clean-up exercise at the famous Mukuyu Tree after donating three bins.
“Waste was collected from the town centre while remains of the deceased person who died from cholera were disposed of,” he said.
Mr Mukuka said going forward, there was need for vendors to stop trading in food staffs as a temporal measure until the problem of cholera was brought under control.
He said the stage at which cholera had reached in the country raised concern hence the need to act swiftly to save people’s lives and ensure that business was being conducted in a proper environment.
Mr Mukuka said the dangers of not taking caution against the cholera outbreak by every responsible member of the community could create more problems.
He said the country would lose additional resources which could have been used on other developmental programmes if prevention had been made.
“In fact, there have been circulars advising all those trading in public places to relocate, but the vendors have been refusing, so my submission is that all those trading in food staffs must move from the streets,” Mr Mukuka said.
He warned that anyone that would be found throwing litter in the CBD should brace themselves for a fine of not less than K750.
Kabwe District Medical Director Tize Mfune informed the committee that since the outbreak of cholera, the district had recorded six cases.
He said another case had been reported from Chisamba, making the number of those treated in Central Province to be seven.
Dr Mfune said further queries on cholera could be referred to Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga.
“From the time cholera broke out last year, we had six cases, with Katondo leading while the seventh case was from Chisamba,” Dr Mfune said.
He also said that apart from the 1,800 bottles of chlorine that were being distributed, the district was expecting another 30,000 bottles that would immediately be distributed among residents around Kabwe.
“Since we do not have money, we ask you people from the media to see how you can give us free talk time so that we fight this battle together,” he said.
Kabwe District Joint Operations Committee Chairperson Louis Chikoti said there was need for KMC to join forces with the LgWSC to quickly survey and burry shallow wells in some townships.
Colonel Chikoti, who is also Chindwin Garrison commander, said that there were a number of shallow wells that had been used as source points of water for consumption by some residents at C-Gate, a township next to the barracks.
“I think you need to also take time and see how some shallow wells at C-Gate can be buried because they could be the sources of cholera in Kabwe,” he said.
The Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) warned that if the cholera epidemic remained unattended to, businesses could be affected.
KCCI honorary secretary Lennox Shimwambwa said there was need for the business owners to maintain the highest standard of hygiene in all trading places.
Zesco Central Region Revenue Officer Benson Changwe said his company would ensure that power supply was increased to avoid lack of running water in homes.
LgWSC Deputy Spokesperson Louis Mwape said following the outbreak of cholera, his company provided a vacuum tanker to ensure that reasonable assistance is provided to prevent sewer blockages and spillages.
Mr Mwape said the provision of the vacuum tanker was aimed at protecting the community from any hazard capable of escalating the epidemic.
“I also want to mention that the quality assurance team has continued to conduct tests on water samples across the province to ensure constant monitoring of the water quality in line with world standards on drinking water quality,” Mr Mwape said.
He said the seven cholera cases involved people who are related to victims who haved consumed either contaminated food or water from shallow wells.
He said LgWSC is ensuring that its water kiosks and stand taps are operational in line with the service level agreements.
Mr Mwape appealed to members of the public to stop the habit of drawing water from shallow wells.
However, Street Vendors Secretary General Chabala Mutesha insisted on the need for the vendors to remain on the streets.
Mr Mutesha said it was imperative that the vendors remained selling on the streets except for those trading in foodstaffs.
“In 1995, I was one of the cholera victims and I know how bad cholera is; within a short time, I felt like all the energy was drained from my body,” Mr Mutesha said.
Zambia National Information Services (ZANIS) Kabwe District Officer Catherine Kalumba said there was no need for an urgent solution to be found to the cholera situation once and for all.
She said people do not want to fall victim to the disease.
Ms Kalumba said she had since taken it upon herself to sensitise her work mates to stop buying foodstuffs from the streets.
On January 3, 2018, Kabwe Mayor Prince Chileshe acted swiftly and banned all traders from selling from any point except in the markets.
Mr Chileshe said the ban was with effect from Thursday, January 4, 2018, and meant to pave way for the defence wings to help in cleaning up the town.
He also directed all business entities in Kabwe District to purchase bins and place them in conspicuous places.
He warned business houses not doing so by the set deadline that they risked being closed.
“I want to call for responsibility and the promotion of personal hygiene among the people of Kabwe. I now want to direct all those running businesses to purchase bins by Friday and there are no negotiations on this.
“Let us also advise you to abandon the traditional hand-shake as a way of greeting someone, and, to those with the habit of buying raw foodstuffs, this is the time to stop the habit, if you are not feeling well, I urge you to rush to the nearest health centre and seek medical attention,” Mr Chileshe said.
Mr Chileshe said in order for the security wings to thorough burry shallow wells, unblock drainages and clean the town without any obstacle, all the vendors had to move to the markets.
He said there was enough space that was not occupied in the market where at Town Centre Market of 400 stands only 143 which were occupied.
The New Kasanda Market which has 1,200 stands only has 400 that are occupied while at Njanji Market, only 53 out of 229 stands were occupied.
“At Pollen Market, we have 60 stands and only 10 are occupied; Kachulu Market, we have 130 stands and only 60 are occupied.
“Going by the statistics, I have about 22 markets so in short, we have enough space where our vendors will be operating from and there is no question about it,” he said.
Mr Chileshe said that his decision to relocate vendors and to close businesses operating in poor sanitary conditions was backed by President Edgar Lungu’s directive, the Ministry of Health Statutory Instrument Number 79 of 2017 and the Public Health Act.
Indeed, it is important that the fight be escalated against cholera which has the potential to kill within a short time.
There is need for members of the community to do their part in controlling the disease.
It is also important that preventive measures are observed as disseminated by either the media or the health personnel through mobile networks in form of text messages.
People must realised that cholera in preventable and curable and deaths can be avoided.
Allowing the disease to escalate might rob the country of more resources that could be used for developmental programmes.