THE cholera epidemic that we are currently grappling with has put a spotlight on the urgent need to address issues of cleanliness, town planning, and waste disposal, among others.
The crisis has exposed deep-seated problems in our attitudes to cleanliness and adherence to basic tenets of hygiene. It has also reinforced the need to address the age-old problem of poor city and town planning.
While the consequences of the epidemic have been dire, it has also presented an opportunity for the country to re-evaluate its approach to public health and urban development.
The cholera epidemic must be used as a turning point to improve attitudes toward cleanliness, enhance town planning, and reform waste disposal practices.
And in doing so, the Government has been swift and decisive. The measures that it has taken and continues to take will ultimately lead to a cholera-free country.
The revelation by Local Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary for administration Maambo Haamaundu that Government is engaging traditional leadership in Chibombo district to have planning agreements to ensure proper development of the area and avoid flooding is one such demonstration.
Realising that urban development planning for Lusaka has been grossly compromised with the mushrooming of unplanned settlements and overpopulation, the Government is now moving to avert similar crises in other municipalities across the country. That is commendable.
We can only urge other municipalities to take planning of their municipalities seriously. It has been adequately demonstrated that poor decisions can and do cost lives.
Our country needs more liveable cities that promote the well-being of its people.
As we stated yesterday, local municipalities should ride on the political will demonstrated by the New Dawn government to implement town plans that will stand the test of time.
And the call by Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo that councils in the province should clear all heaps of garbage dotted around communities to prevent the spread of cholera is another proactive measure that will enhance cleanliness around the province and is a move that must be emulated by all provinces and councils across the length and breadth of our country.
In urging our local authorities to ensure that they clean up their cities and towns, we also call on our people to embrace cleanliness as a way of life. Indiscriminate disposal of waste should not be the norm.
As Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gary Nkombo observed yesterday, cholera is people-centric. People
“have a bigger role to play because as Government we are coming from behind. We are in a reactive mode.
This garbage that we are collecting has been piling up for a long time.
This is because people did not pay attention to the things which we need to cherish the most – hygiene.”
As Mr Nkombo further observed, it is people who dump and generate waste and time has come to apply the polluter pays principle.
The Zambia National Service yesterday also revealed that it would embark on exercises to drain some flooded areas in parts of Lusaka. In doing so, the service warned that those that have built across waterways would have their structures demolished. Heartless as that move may sound, it is a necessary step to correct an evil that has for a long time been tolerated.
It is gratifying that our leaders are taking bold actions that will not only result in the end of the current cholera outbreak but also prevent future outbreaks of the disease.
The cholera epidemic has made it abundantly clear that the status quo is neither acceptable nor tenable.
The epidemic is a wake-up call – a sobering reminder of the urgent need to overhaul attitudes toward cleanliness and urban development.
By harnessing the momentum generated by this crisis, Zambia has the potential to emerge as a beacon of progress, setting a new standard for public health, town planning, and waste disposal in the region.
Seizing this moment to drive positive change will not only mitigate the immediate threat of cholera but also foster a legacy of resilience,
innovation, and prosperity for generations to come.
The time for action is now, and Zambia’s response to this crisis will shape its future.
Let’s use cholera to bring lasting positive solution
THE cholera epidemic that we are currently grappling with has put a spotlight on the urgent need to address issues of cleanliness, town planning, and waste disposal, among others.
The crisis has exposed deep-seated problems in our attitudes to cleanliness and adherence to basic tenets of hygiene. It has also reinforced the need to address the age-old problem of poor city and town planning.
While the consequences of the epidemic have been dire, it has also presented an opportunity for the country to re-evaluate its approach to public health and urban development.
The cholera epidemic must be used as a turning point to improve attitudes toward cleanliness, enhance town planning, and reform waste disposal practices.
And in doing so, the Government has been swift and decisive. The measures that it has taken and continues to take will ultimately lead to a cholera-free country.
The revelation by Local Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary for administration Maambo Haamaundu that Government is engaging traditional leadership in Chibombo district to have planning agreements to ensure proper development of the area and avoid flooding is one such demonstration.
Realising that urban development planning for Lusaka has been grossly compromised with the mushrooming of unplanned settlements and overpopulation, the Government is now moving to avert similar crises in other municipalities across the country. That is commendable.
We can only urge other municipalities to take planning of their municipalities seriously. It has been adequately demonstrated that poor decisions can and do cost lives.
Our country needs more liveable cities that promote the well-being of its people.
As we stated yesterday, local municipalities should ride on the political will demonstrated by the New Dawn government to implement town plans that will stand the test of time.
And the call by Copperbelt Province Minister Elisha Matambo that councils in the province should clear all heaps of garbage dotted around communities to prevent the spread of cholera is another proactive measure that will enhance cleanliness around the province and is a move that must be emulated by all provinces and councils across the length and breadth of our country.
In urging our local authorities to ensure that they clean up their cities and towns, we also call on our people to embrace cleanliness as a way of life. Indiscriminate disposal of waste should not be the norm.
As Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gary Nkombo observed yesterday, cholera is people-centric. People
“have a bigger role to play because as Government we are coming from behind. We are in a reactive mode.
This garbage that we are collecting has been piling up for a long time.
This is because people did not pay attention to the things which we need to cherish the most – hygiene.”
As Mr Nkombo further observed, it is people who dump and generate waste and time has come to apply the polluter pays principle.
The Zambia National Service yesterday also revealed that it would embark on exercises to drain some flooded areas in parts of Lusaka. In doing so, the service warned that those that have built across waterways would have their structures demolished. Heartless as that move may sound, it is a necessary step to correct an evil that has for a long time been tolerated.
It is gratifying that our leaders are taking bold actions that will not only result in the end of the current cholera outbreak but also prevent future outbreaks of the disease.
The cholera epidemic has made it abundantly clear that the status quo is neither acceptable nor tenable.
The epidemic is a wake-up call – a sobering reminder of the urgent need to overhaul attitudes toward cleanliness and urban development.
By harnessing the momentum generated by this crisis, Zambia has the potential to emerge as a beacon of progress, setting a new standard for public health, town planning, and waste disposal in the region.
Seizing this moment to drive positive change will not only mitigate the immediate threat of cholera but also foster a legacy of resilience,
innovation, and prosperity for generations to come.
The time for action is now, and Zambia’s response to this crisis will shape its future.